Mysterious Love
by Lord Rekhyt
Summary: Love is blind, or so they say. When Sasuke, Naruto, Neji, Kiba and the others confront their feelings, all hell will break loose. Warning for Yaoi in later chapters! RECONTINUED! Chpater 16 up!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or any other anime

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, or any other anime.

**Warnings : **Language and Yaoi (boyXboy)

**CHAPTER 1**

Sasuke walked through the thick undergrowth of the forest with Naruto and Sakura, his eyes downcast and his hands in his pockets. They were returning from their latest mission, which had led them all the way to the Hidden Sand. Worn-out, dirty and more than a little irritated, he ignored the conversation between his teammates, keeping his eyes on the ground. He thought about the mission; they had escorted a highborn to the Sand country, thwarting all attempts at assassination and intrigue. The Hokage would be pleased at their success.

One good thing to come out of the mission was the appearance another team. Kiba, Shino and Hinata had been there delivering a message of some kind, and were staying in the same building as Sasuke and his team. Sasuke sighed. He had hoped to get Kiba alone somewhere, and talk to the boy. For as long as he could remember, he had had a crush on the Inuzuka.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura said sweetly, "You were so great. I can't believe you stopped all those ninja!"

Naruto spun around. "He did not! I helped him!"

Sakura hit Naruto. "I don't care. Sasuke-kun did most of the work. He's the best." She ended by giving Sasuke a soppy, coy look.

_: The girl is an idiot:_ Sasuke thought. _: If she still hasn't figured out that I'm gay, she probably never will:_

Without a word, Sasuke leapt into the air, landing neatly on a tree branch. He activated his Sharingan, and looked around. He could see Konoha in the distance, and he felt a surge of relief.

Now all they had to do was hand in their report, and Sasuke could finally get cleaned up and rest.

He jumped back down to the ground and turned to Naruto. "Konoha is just up ahead. We should be able to get there before night."

Naruto nodded.

A few hours later, the report had been handed in and Sasuke was in his apartment, drawing a hot bath. He stripped his clothing off and slid into the warm water, letting out a moan of satisfaction. Washing off the accumulated grim took a little time, but soon he was clean again and ready to enjoy a well deserved break. As he walked to the kitchen, there was a knock at his door. Hiding a kunai inside his belt, he opened the door and saw Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei." Sasuke greeted.

"Welcome back, Sasuke. I hear congratulations are in order."

Sasuke shrugged. "It was an easy mission." He stepped aside to let his teacher into his house.

As Kakashi entered, he looked at Sasuke and said, "Well, I'm glad it wasn't a taxing mission, because you're leaving in two days for another one."

It took a moment to sink in.

"We only just got back!" Sasuke complained. "Two days? That's impossible! How do you expect us to recover our strength in just two days?"

Kakashi shrugged. "If you have a problem with it, talk to the Hokage. I'm sure she will have no problem with demoting you to Genin so you can have fewer hardships."

Sasuke went pale.

"Think about it, Sasuke." Kakashi said, and without another word, he left.

"Bastard." Sasuke muttered to himself.

He made himself a simple meal, and sat down, wondering what pathetic mission they were being given this time. He was not looking forward to spending even more time with Sakura and the baka. Sighing to himself, he crawled into bed. Might as well enjoy the relaxation while he can.

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The next morning, Sasuke woke up as the first sunlight filtered in through the curtains. He opened his eyes slowly, seeing a mop of blonde hair in front of him. At first, he didn't realize that this should be odd, as he had gone to bed alone the previous night. He raised a hand and ran his fingers through the blonde hair. Then, with sudden realization, he noticed that Naruto was in bed with him.

"AAAH! You BAKA!"

Naruto opened his eyes lazily. "Sasuke-kun, why are you screaming?"

"What the fuck are you doing in my bed, dobe?"

"Sleeping." Naruto answered. He grabbed Sasuke by the waist and pulled him closer, then went back to sleep. Confused beyond all reason, Sasuke shrugged and put an arm over Naruto, slipping once more into peaceful oblivion.

"OH MY FUCKING GOD! WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE??"

Sasuke jolted awake, only to see an enraged Sakura having an aneurism near his bed. He looked over at Naruto, who just shrugged.

"What's gotten into her?" the blonde asked, pulling Sasuke closer to cuddle him.

Sasuke smirked. "I guess she thinks there was something going on with us last night."

Naruto looked blankly at Sasuke, not catching on to what he meant.

"Baka…" Sasuke muttered. He climbed out of bed, avoiding the spot on the floor where Sakura was curled in a ball, crying her eyes out, and got dressed.

He left his apartment, hearing Sakura attack Naruto as he closed the door.

: _They really are idiots…_:

He walked through the city, lost in his own thoughts, not noticing where he was going. He walked straight into someone's back, loosing his balance and almost falling over.

"Uchiha?"

Sasuke looked up. It was Neji.

"Hello Neji." He greeted. "What are you doing out here?"

Neji looked over Sasuke's shoulder, avoiding eye contact.

"I'm just walking off my laziness, Uchiha. I have nothing else to do."

"Neji, you don't need to call me Uchiha. Call me Sasuke."

Neji blushed deeply.

Two months previously, Sasuke had slept with the Hyuga, and ever since, Neji had avoided him.

It seemed that Neji was more than a little embarrassed by what had happened, although he had thoroughly enjoyed it at the time.

"Have you heard about the mission?" Neji asked.

"Which mission?" Sasuke asked.

"I haven't gotten the details yet, but apparently it'll be your team, mine, and Kiba's, working together."

Three teams? What mission needed that many ninja?

"That's odd…" Sasuke muttered.

Neji nodded. "We should hear about it tomorrow morning."

Sasuke made a vague noise. He looked at the Hyuga. "Is there anything you need to do today, Neji?" he asked slyly.

"Not really. Why?" He noticed the smirk on Sasuke's face. "Um, why, Sasuke?"

"Let's go to my place, Neji. I'm sure we can think of something to do…"

Neji blushed and nodded almost imperceptibly.

When they arrived at his apartment, Sasuke hoped to god that Naruto and Sakura had left. He opened the door and took Neji's hand, leading him in.

"So Sasuke," Neji said, suddenly more confident and sure of himself, "How do you propose to keep me occupied?"

…

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Several hours later, Sasuke and Neji left to go get ramen. There was an unspoken agreement between them, that although they occasionally had sex, they were friends and nothing more.

"Has anyone caught your eye yet, Sasuke?" Neji asked.

"Maybe," Sasuke replied evasively. "You?"

Neji blushed. "Yeah…"

This perked Sasuke's curiosity. "Who?" He asked.

"Naruto…"

Sasuke gagged and spluttered. "Naruto?!"

Neji blushed more and began to stutter.

Sasuke laughed. "Well, to be honest, I have a crush on Kiba…"

Now Neji laughed. "I guess it's good for both of us that our teams will be working together."

Sasuke nodded and blushed lightly.

"Think we'll be able to snare them by the end of the mission?" Neji asked.

Sasuke grinned. "We'll see…"

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**A/N: **Hope you liked the first chapter, there's lots more to come! Now review, or I will hunt you down!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or any other anime

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, or any other anime.

**Warnings : **Language and Yaoi (boyXboy)

A/N: Gomenasai for any spelling mistakes I might have made in the last chapter, and while I'm at it, I'll apologize for any mistakes in this chapter too. Sorry!

**CHAPTER 2**

"So," Kakashi said, facing the young Chuunin, "The mission we are about to entrust to you is an A rank mission, usually reserved for Jounin."

Sasuke yawned. It had been a long, sleepless night, and he was in no mood to listen to Kakashi's rambling.

"If this mission is meant for Jounin," Neji asked, "Why are you entrusting it to nine Chuunin?"

"Well, that we cannot tell you." Kakashi said, "But it is top priority. You need to complete this mission swiftly."

"Well, what's the mission?" Sasuke asked.

"Assassination." Kakashi said simply.

"A-Assa-sination?" Hinata stuttered feebly.

"Yes. There is a certain person that has become, to quote Shikamaru, troublesome. We need him taken care of."

Sasuke looked at the other eight Chuunin. They seemed apprehensive, scared. None of them had been given a mission of this magnitude before.

"Who is this mystery person?" Sasuke asked.

"You will find that out," a voice said, "once you reach the Hidden Sand."

They all turned around and saw the Hokage standing there.

"The Hidden Sand?" Sakura said, "We were just there. Why are we being sent back?"

The Hokage grunted. "We only received this mission the day before you retuned to Konoha."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. This was bound to be a long mission. The others seemed to be thinking along the same line. He looked over at Kiba, who was staring into space.

"When do we leave?" Shino asked.

"Now," Kakashi replied. "We need this done as soon as possible. Gather your equipment."

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Sasuke waited at the entrance to Konoha. Team 8 was still gathering their things. Neji stood near Sasuke, avoiding eye contact with Naruto.

"Just talk to him." Sasuke whispered from between clenched teeth.

Neji looked terrified and shook his head.

"I don't see you waltzing up to Kiba and declaring your love…" Neji hissed back.

Sasuke grunted. This was an unfortunate truth.

In the distance, he saw Kiba, Hinata and Shino walking toward them, each on equipped with their traveling gear.

"Hey guys!" Kiba greeted enthusiastically as they approached. Sasuke nodded to the Inuzuka, a faint blush staining his cheeks.

"Are you all ready to go?" Sakura asked cheerfully.

They nodded. As one they turned to the exit and began to walk, each lost in their own thoughts. Sasuke looked over at Naruto. The blonde boy had no clue that Neji had fallen for him, but Sasuke doubted it would disturb the boy. Naruto had realized a long time ago that Sasuke was gay, and it had never troubled him. More than that, he and Sasuke had even had sex once. It had been slightly awkward, and they had decided that nothing could come of it, so they had fallen into an affectionate, rather physical friendship where they would hold and cuddle each other and no more.

Of course, Neji didn't know that Sasuke and Naruto had once hooked up. If he found out, chances are that the older boy would have freaked out.

Suddenly, Naruto started laughing. A loud, bubbling laughter.

"What's so funny, urasonkatchi? Sasuke asked.

"Now I get it," Naruto chocked out between giggles, "Sakura thought we did something the other night!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes while Sakura shot the blonde a death glare.

Neji raised an eyebrow at Sasuke.

"He just slept next to me and we cuddled a bit." Sasuke reassured the Hyuga. "You know that Naruto and I are incompatible. "

Relieved, the Hyuga nodded vaguely.

Meanwhile, Hinata had caught the wrong side of Naruto's outburst and was looking utterly terrified.

"N-Naru-t-to and Sas-suke?" she stammered.

Kiba laughed at his companion. "Hinata, do you really think that Sasuke is gay?"

Hinata stuttered for a minute, and then shook her head, but behind them, Sasuke was blushing again.

_: Why do I feel so embarrassed by this?:_ Sasuke asked himself. _: Why am I so scared to tell everyone?:_

Shaking his head slightly, he fell into step beside Neji. The Hyuga seemed unduly edgy, alternating between bouts of twitching and blushing furiously.

"Relax, Neji," Sasuke said to him quietly, "Stop worrying so much."

Neji grunted.

"Wh – who are we supposed t – to, w – well, you kn – know…" Hinata said, not finishing her sentence.

"We don't know yet," Saukra told her, "we need to talk to the leader of the Hidden Sand to find out who our target is…"

The leader of the Hidden Sand…

"You mean…"

"Gaara."

Naruto groaned. "Do we have to?"

With a sigh, Sakura nodded. "He's not that bad anymore, you know."

"Yeah," Sasuke said, "But he still won't be too pleased when all of us knock on his door."

Kiba laughed, and Sasuke felt his stomach do a back flip.

"You got that right, Sasuke-kun."

That night, they camped inside a forest, making good use of all the dry wood that was casually lying around. They sat hunched by their fire, each lost in private thoughts, none wanting to talk. Sasuke studied the faces of his companions, though his eyes kept flicking back to Kiba. Hinata was staring at Naruto, as she always did. She was a nice girl, but Sasuke couldn't help but feel that she was something of a stalker. Shino's face was hidden in shadow. Neji seemed to be falling asleep where he sat.

Sasuke stared over at the Inuzuka, watching how the fire light danced across the red tattoos on his cheeks. He looked so perfect, so attractive. Sasuke longed to sit with him, to hold him…

Kiba's brown hair was hanging in front of his canine eyes, obscuring them from the Uchiha's view. There was no way to know what Kiba was thinking, and no way for Kiba to know that Sasuke was thinking about him…

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Laying awake, staring at the stars, Sasuke noticed that Naruto and Neji were holding a whispered conversation. Sasuke activated his Sharingan, reducing the darkness a little to make out their faces. Neji's seemed relaxed, so Sasuke assumed he was not telling the Uzumaki about his feelings for him. Naruto said something, and the Hyuga shrugged, turned over, and fell silent. Naruto got to his feet and tiptoed away from the campsite, followed soon after by Hinata.

Sasuke rolled over and looked toward Kiba. The boy was still awake, looking up at the stars.

For nearly an hour, Sasuke stared at the object of his affection, gazing with eyes filled with love. If only Kiba would return that love. Before finally slipping in sleep, Naruto and Hinata returned. Hinata looked like she had been crying.

When morning came, Naruto seemed groggy and out of sorts. He muttered indistinctly, frequently shooting disheveled looks at Hinata.

"What's his problem?" Neji asked Sasuke.

Sasuke shrugged. "Beats me. I thing he had an argument with your cousin last night."

Neji shrugged. "She can fight her own battles."

"Amazing sense of family loyalty." Sasuke said dryly.

"You're one to talk."

Sasuke growled darkly at him.

"What Itachi did had nothing to do with me, Hyuga."

Neji nodded. "True. But, since Hinata is a main branch family member, I'm sure she can take care of herself."

Sasuke sighed. "How can you hate her just for how she was born?"

Neji didn't reply.

The day progressed, the sun beating upon their faces. Sasuke wondered idly what had transpired between Naruto and Hinata. Neji was not inclined to discuss his cousin, so he remained silent and unresponsive to Sasuke's questions. Asking Naruto was out of the question, as the blonde would either ignore him or get defensive.

The wind blew through the tree's above them, but not loudly enough to hide the sounds within them. Sasuke sprang into the nearest tree and threw a kunai at the first moving thing he saw. A ninja from the Hidden Rain dodged the attack and let out a shrill whistle.

More than a dozen of his comrades dropped to the ground in front of Sasuke's friends, who sprang back a step and assumed a fighting pose. Sasuke jumped down to them and took the lead.

"If you don't move," he said quietly, "you won't see the light of day again."

One of the ninja sneered and quickly formed several hand seals. A wall of water erupted from the ground at Sasuke's feet, towering over him and threatening to crush him.

Out of nowhere, Kiba rushed the ninja and rammed a kunai into his throat. The Inuzuka looked fierce, and as another ninja stepped forward to attack Sasuke, Kiba threw a shuriken into his forehead.

"No one attacks my friends!" He growled in a low voice. Sasuke smiled to himself. Producing hand seals at light speed, he fired the Katon Housenka no Jutsu at several more of the enemy, charring their faces and clothing. As the burned victims fell to the ground, those that remained fled, letting off a smoke bomb to cover their retreat.

"I didn't know you were so protective, Kiba." Sasuke commented.

Kiba grinned. "I wouldn't want you to get hurt, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke blushed as the Inuzuka looked him in the eyes. Kiba's look became slightly confused at this, but he said nothing of it.

"Come on, " Sasuke mumbled, "We'd better keep moving"

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Sasuke chose to sleep near Kiba that night, much to Neji's amusement. He opened his bed roll and crawled into it alongside Kiba, who was watching him get ready for bed. Sasuke felt nervous,. Kiba had been watching him carefully since he had blushed, and he wondered what he whould say if the Inuzuka brought the subject up.

"Hey, Sasuke," Kiba said.

_:SHIT!: _Sasuke thought to himself.

"Those guys from the Hidden Rain, do you think they knew about our mission?"

Sasuke let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm not sure, Kiba. Most likely, otherwise why would they want to fight us?"

Kiba shrugged and rolled over, facing the place where Neji and Shino were taking the first watch of the night.

"Well, one things for sure," Kiba mumbled, half asleep.

"And what's that?" Sasuke asked him quietly.

"You look cute when you blush."

Then the Inuzuka was asleep, snoring softly.

Sasuke was dazed, punch-drunk from the comment.

_:What the f-:_

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A/N: Okay, a bit dull, I know. Things will start heating up in the next chapter. Hope this wasn't too bad!

Now, review or be killed. It's your choice :P


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto, or any other anime.

**Warnings : **Language and Yaoi (boyXboy)

A/N: Gomenasai for any spelling mistakes I might have made in the last chapter, and while I'm at it, I'll apologize for any mistakes in this chapter too. Sorry!

**CHAPTER 3**

The next morning, Sasuke felt groggy and light headed. He had barely slept at all the previous night, wondering over what Kiba had said.

:_He was half asleep at the time: _He reasoned while they ate breakfast. :_So I can hardly ask him about it.:_

Kiba seemed well rested and energetic as ever, not showing any sign that he could remember what he had told Sasuke. Sasuke snorted over his plate of bacon. He watched Kiba as the Inuzuka laughed alongside Neji and Naruto, his face lit up with mirth. Catching Sasuke's eye, Kiba grinned and winked slyly at him. Sasuke quickly looked away, his face turning crimson. The exchange was not wasted on Neji, who burst into laughter.

"What's so funny?" Kiba asked innocently.

""Nothing at all," Neji replied between giggles.

Naruto, who was busily falling asleep again, fell sideways onto Neji's lap and curled into a ball, cuddling the Hyuga. Neji stiffened up and looked down, absolutely horrified.

Sasuke laughed at him loudly.

"Dobe, that's what you get."

"Get for what?" Kiba asked, looking confused.

Sasuke looked away from him. "Nothing…"

All in all, it was a rather awkward morning. Sasuke was glad when they could get on the road again, glad for the distraction. He stared at Kiba's back, watching the boy intensely. Naruto fell into step beside the Uchiha, his face dark as a storm cloud.

"What's up with you?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto grumbled. "Hinata."

Sasuke looked at him closely. Normally, the Uzumaki barely noticed Hinata at all, yet now he was fretting about her.

"What happened, Naruto-kun?"

"She, well, I asked her out, and she rejected me."

Sasuke gaped. "She rejected you? But, I thought she was in love with you."

Naruto grimaced. "Apparently, I'm not her type."

Sasuke frowned as Neji joined them. "That's odd."

There's more," Naruto said derisively, "I'm not her type, Sasu-kun, because I'm not a girl."

It took Sasuke a few seconds to comprehend what he was hearing.

"You mean she…"

"Yeah. She likes girls. And not just any girl, she likes Sakura."

Sasuke flinched. "Not good. Poor Hinata, everyone knows that Sakura is in love with me. And I'm in love with – " He broke off suddenly, aware that the blonde had no clue who Sasuke was in love with.

Naruto immediately switched from grumpy to curios. "In love with who, Sasuke?"

"No one. I was going to say I'm in love with no one."

Naruto grinned. "Bullshit, Sasuke. Who are you in love with?"

Yeah, Sasuke. Who are you in love with?" Neji asked slyly.

"Shut up, Hyuga, or I'll spill the news about _you_."

Neji went pale. Naruto grinned even more.

"Oh now you have to tell me…"

"Be quiet, Naruto." Neji muttered, but the Uzumaki simply waved him off.

"Well Sasuke?"

Sasuke looked at the ground and muttered something incoherent.

"Sorry? I didn't catch that."

"Kiba…"

Naruto stared at him for a second, then frowned. "This is going to be difficult…"

"What is?" Sasuke asked.

"Getting the two of you together. " Naruto said, as if Sasuke should have expected it.

"You're gonna help me?" he asked with pleading eyes.

"Of course." Naruto answered with a smile.

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Sasuke fidgeted incessantly while Naruto was walking with Kiba, trying to find out how the Inuzuka felt.

Neji glanced over at the Uchiha. "Relax, " he said bitterly, "at least you have someone to help you out."

"If you had bothered to ask," Sasuke retorted, "I would help you with Naruto."

Neji grunted in reply as Naruto came back to them.

"I couldn't find out much, he's pretty guarded. When I asked him if he was interested in boys, he just shrugged. I think it meant yes"

"That's something." Sasuke muttered. "Thanks Naruto."

"No problem, Sasu-kun."

"Now Naruto," Sasuke said, "What about you? We know you like boys as well as girls, so are there any boys you like?"

Naruto blushed deeply, but was saved from answering by another attack. This time, the ninja were from the Hidden Sand. They ambushed the group from behind the trees and bushes, circling them. As they leaped into action, Sasuke saw Shino attack somebody with his kikai, while Kiba stabbed another with a kunai. Sakura landed a hard punch on another, sending him crashing into the truck of a particularly large oak tree. Neji, meanwhile, had teamed up with his cousin, both using the Hakke Rokujuuyonshou (64 Palms Strike), felling everyone who dared to near them. Neji's team mates, Lee and Tenten, were nowhere to be seen. Sasuke activated his Sharingan and copied a jutsu, using it on its user, then spun around and used the Gokakyu no Jutsu. As the last of the attackers fell to the ground with a sickening crunch, Sasuke looked over at Neji, who was bleeding above his left eye.

"Shit. Neji , are you okay?"

"I'm okay." He replied.

"Tenten and Lee are missing." Sakura suddenly exclaimed.

Neji spun around, searching for his team mates. "Where are they? Did anybody see…?"

They all shook their heads.

"We were too busy fighting." Naruto said apologetically, putting an arm around the male Hyuga's shoulders.

Neji seemed to shudder at the contact, leaning into Naruto unconsciously.

"Lee… Tenten… where could they have gone?"

"Don't worry, Neji." Sasuke said comfortingly, "those ninja were from the Hidden Sand, and that's where we're going. We'll find them."

Neji's eyes glazed over for a second.

"The Hidden Sand… yes." He stood up straight. "I'll fucking kill Gaara!"

"Ne – j – ji, w – we can't be s – sure it was h – him." Hinata stammered out.

"She's right, Neji." Sakura said. "We don't know if we were attacked on Gaara's orders."

Shino muttered something under his breath, and his kikai swarmed out from him.

"I sent them to find a village for us. We need a good nights rest."

The others nodded. Sasuke felt weary after the jutsu he had copied; it had taxed his body greatly. With leaden steps, he walked with the other Chunin, not paying attention to where he was going. He tripped over a tree root and started falling, only to feel a pair of strong arms encircle him, catching him before he hit the ground. He looked up at the man holding him, seeing the red fanglike tattoo's on Kiba's face, then looking directly into his brown eyes.

"Daijoubu, Sasuke-kun?" the Inuzuka asked.

Sasuke nodded, but when he tried to get to his feet, Kiba held him tighter and lifted him into his arms.

"Oh no, Sasuke. I'm going to carry you. You don't look too good."

Sasuke started to struggle a bit, but Kiba just held tighter.

"Damn it, Sasuke! Keep still and let me fucking help you!"

Sasuke went limp and looked away from Kiba's face. "Arigatou, Kiba-kun…" he whispered.

Lead by Shino's kikai, they soon found a fair sized town in which to spend the night. It was only mid-afternoon, but the group needed to rest and relax before continuing their mission.

While Sakura and Hinata organized rooms for them, Sasuke had Kiba fussing over him. While he quite enjoyed the attention, he felt frustrated by his sudden weakness.

"As soon as the girls have gotten us rooms, you need to lie down and relax, Sasuke. You need to regain your strength."

Rather than argue that it was unnecessary, the Uchiha simply nodded.

"Right," Sakura said as she and Hinata rejoined the others, "We've made arrangements. Each room contains two beds, so one of us will be alone."

"I'm bunking with Sasuke." Kiba said immediately, making Sasuke blush lightly.

"I'm okay now, Kiba. Really…"

"And your point is?"

"Hn." Sasuke grunted.

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Okay, Kiba and Sasuke together. Neji and Naruto?"

Naruto nodded while Neji remained stony faced, trying to look unconcerned.

"If you bunk with Hinata," Shino said, "I wont mind staying alone."

Sakura nodded, smiling at Hinata.

"That's gonna make Hinata's day." Naruto muttered to Sasuke, who laughed.

"Nani?" Kiba asked.

"Nothing." Sasuke replied, stifling his laughter.

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The room was spacious and well aired, with sunlight streaming through the window. Sasuke laid down on his bed, staring at the roof while Kiba went to fetch them some lunch.

"That Inuzuka…" Sasuke muttered, "He's impossible. How do I tell someone like him that I like him?"

Preoccupied by his thoughts, he didn't hear the door open as Kiba entered the room again, a tray in each hand.

"Its not like I can just walk up to him and say, 'Hey Kiba, just so you know, I have a huge crush on you and I would like to date you'. Yeah… then he'd probably hate me…"

"Actually," Kiba said, "I don't know what I would have said to that…"

Sasuke jumped to his feet, his heart racing.

"H – how long were you standing there for?" Sasuke asked.

"Long enough to know that you didn't want me to hear any of that…"

"Oh my god…" Sasuke said, sinking onto the bed and cupping his head in his palms. "Fuck… shit…"

"Sasuke," Kiba said as he set the trays on a table, his face deathly pale, "Did – did you mean what you just said? About, liking me?"

Sasuke grunted into his hands. "Of course I meant it." He mumbled. "That's why I didn't want you to overhear it."

Kiba sat on his own bed, looking at the wall.

"If you want to trade rooms with someone," Sasuke said quietly, "or bunk with Shino instead, I'll understand."

Kiba said nothing. He silently handed Sasuke a plate of food and some coffee, then took his own and ate.

Sasuke didn't say anything more to the Inuzuka while he ate. He finished his meal, and stood up.

"I'm going to go talk to Naruto." Sasuke said. "I'll be back a little later."

Kiba nodded, his eyes averted.

Sasuke left the room and walked down the hall. Coming to a halt outside of Naruto's room, he knocked twice. After a moment, the door opened, revealing the blonde, blue eyed Uzumaki.

"Sasuke, what's wrong?" He immediately asked the Uchiha. Sasuke walked into the room and collapsed onto a bed. He began telling the Uzumaki what had happened with Kiba.

After the story was finished, Naruto got down next to Sasuke and wrapped an arm around him.

"It'll be okay, Sasuke-kun. Just give him some time."

"I hope so." Sasuke said pensively.

Naruto then did something unexpected. He snaked a hand under Sasuke's shorts and began rubbing his member through the silk boxers.

"Naruto! What are you – "

Naruto placed a finger to the Uchiha's lips, silencing him.

"Relax, Sasuke. I'm just trying to make you feel better."

Sasuke was about to say something back, but all that escaped from his mouth was a moan of pleasure. His erection pressed against his boxers as Naruto rubbed harder. The Uzumaki then removed the shorts and boxers and took Sasuke into his mouth, his head bobbing up and down, eliciting more mores from the Uchiha, who reached around and grasped Naruto throbbing member and began pumping it to the same rhythm. After a few minutes, Sasuke's breathing became erratic.

"Hrn, Nar – ruto, I'm gonna – AH! – "

Sasuke exploded into his friend's mouth, waves of pleasure rippling throughout his body. A moment later, he felt Naruto's body shudder as he came into Sasuke's hand.

Naruto swallowed loudly, then crawled up next to Sasuke.

"How was it?" He asked.

"It was good." Sasuke panted. "But it shouldn't have happened. If Neji finds out…"

"Neji?" Naruto asked. "What does he have to do with who I mess around with. Unless you and Neji are…"

"No! Well, not anymore. But he…" Sasuke didn't want to finish his sentence.

"Oh my God..." Naruto muttered. "He likes me, doesn't he?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yes. And I think you and Neji are perfect for each other."

Naruto considered him for a moment. "You think so?"

"Yes. Give him a chance, I think you guys would make a cute couple."

Naruto shrugged. "I'll take your word for it. I'll give him a chance." The blonde hugged him.

Sasuke pulled his boxers and shorts back on, then left the room. As he closed the door and turned down the corridor, however, he came face to face with Neji Hyuga.

"I saw and heard it all." Neji said.

"Neji, I – "

The Hyuga suddenly embraced Sasuke.

"Thank you for telling him. And for what you said about giving me a chance."

"You're not mad at me?" Sasuke asked.

Neji shrugged. "Not really. I know you didn't mean for it to happen."

And with that, Neji walked into his room, leaving Sasuke to stare after him, dumbfounded.

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A/N: Another chapter. Hope it was good. Things are just gonna get better from here on out.

If you would be so kind, please leave a little review

Quick note for those poor souls who don't know any Japanese:

Daijoubu : Are you okay?

Arigatou : Thank you

Nani?: What?

XXX

Rekhyt


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing from Naruto. But I wish I owned Sasuke.

**Warnings: **If you don't know by now, go read the previous chapters.

A/N: Hope there weren't too many mistakes in the previous chapter. Gomenasai!

**CHAPTER 4**

When Sasuke walked back into the room he was sharing with Kiba, the first thing he noticed was that the Inuzuka was not there. There was a small note propped up on Sasuke's pillow, which he picked up and read to himself.

_Sasuke,_

_I'm sorry for the way I freaked out earlier. I just didn't expect that. _

_I'll be back a little later, and I think we need to talk. There's something I have to tell you, though it's going to change everything…_

_I won't be gone long, I'm just discussing the mission with Shino. Feel free to join us._

_Yours,_

_Kiba._

Sasuke read the note through several more times. He didn't know what to think.

…_though __it's going to change everything… _That sounded ominous. Suddenly, Sasuke wished he wasn't anywhere near Kiba. He could already tell that the Inuzuka was going to tell him that he didn't feel the same, and that he should move on, and that they shouldn't spend time together. Sasuke felt tears burning the corners of his onyx eyes. All thought left him as he gathered up his possessions and equipment, intending to flee. He knew he had to get away, but where should he go? He couldn't return to Konoha without his teammates and with the mission unfulfilled, he couldn't go to Suna, because Kiba was going there. He walked through the door and made his way downstairs. As he reached the bottom of the staircase, however, a familiar voice called to him.

"Sasuke, where are you going?"

He turned and looked into the green eyes staring down at him.

"Gomenasai, Sakura-chan. I have to leave."

"Leave?" Sakura asked with a puzzled frown. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know. But I have to get away from here."

"Sasuke-kun, we have a mission to do. You can't just walk out on us!"

"You don't understand, dobe." Sasuke said harshly. "I have to go."

He turned around and walked out of the inn and into the bustling street outside. He felt bad for the way he had spoken to Sakura, but knowing her, she was already telling someone what had happened, and he could expect to be followed. No sooner had he thought this, he spotted a blonde head among the crowd.

"Kuso…" Sasuke muttered, ducking into an alleyway. Naruto was always a persistent boy, and it would take a while to escape him.

Leaping to a nearby roof top, Sasuke activated his Sharingan and began to travel above the crowd, hoping that Naruto wouldn't find him.

He raced through the town, eventually coming to the outer wall, which he slipped over and darted into the forest they had been in. He continued on, with no real destination in mind, aimlessly following paths that stretched and twisted out in front of him.

After an hour in the forest, Sasuke finally stopped to rest. He sat with his back against the trunk of a tree and breathed deeply, his thoughts chaotic and churning like a sleeper in the dark, blindly reaching out for some kind of reasoning.

"Dammit all," he muttered to himself. "That damned Naruto. And damn Kiba! Why do things have to be like this?"

The light was fading, and Sasuke could feel his muscles screaming in protest from the days events. He knew he wasn't safe in this forest; two previous attacks told him so, but there was nowhere else he could go now. No doubt the others would start looking for him now. He considered going ahead to Suna and requesting that Gaara hide him for a little while, but that would get the sand user into trouble should anyone find out.

He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to think of a solution to his problem, but before he knew it, he felt a dull thud to the side of his head, a sharp pain. Then he only knew darkness. Sweet, comforting darkness.

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"Can I hit him now?"

An angry voice stirred the young Uchiha from his slumber, pulling him back to the conscious world.

"Kiba, relax. Let's first find out what happened."

That was Sakura's voice… Why was she in his room this early?

Then he remembered. The note, the forest, the thud against his skull…

He sat bolt upright and opened his eyes, falling back to the ground when his head throbbed with intense pain.

"He's awake!" Naruto's voice said. "Sasuke-kun, are you okay? Talk to me!"

"Wh – What happened?" Sasuke slurred.

"We were going to ask you the same thing…" Kiba said, still sounding infuriated.

"You ran out on us," Sakura said, "We spent the whole night looking for you, and now we found you here, with one side of your face caked in blood!"

Sasuke gingerly raised a hand and felt the side of his head, which was covered in dried blood.

"How the hell…"

Wordlessly, Hinata picked up a long wooden staff and handed it to him.

As Sasuke pretended to examine the blood stain on the wood, he formulated a quick lie to get him out of what he had done.

"I – I remember being at the inn, talking to Neji, then nothing… Could it have been a genjutsu?"

Kiba's face, with had been full of rage, suddenly turned to fear. He looked over at Sakura.

"Could it?" He asked, almost pleading.

"It's possible." Sakura said, looking thoughtfully at Sasuke.

"More like probable." Shino said. "What else could it have been?"

As they all considered the possibilities, Sasuke allowed himself a breath. He was safe now, they wouldn't piece together what had really happened. As to the wooden staff, Sasuke was as clueless as everyone else.

As they walked back into the town, Kiba tugged on Sasuke's sleeve, motioning for him to lag behind with him.

"I'm really glad you're okay, Sasuke." Kiba said. "I was worried about you."

Not knowing how to respond to that, and with Kiba's letter still in mind, Sasuke nodded and said, "I'm sorry, Kiba."

Kiba shrugged and offered his hand to the Uchiha, who took it gingerly in a brief shake. As he tried to let go, however, Kiba's grip strengthened, holding Sasuke's hand, he began to walk again, following the others up the crowded street. Naruto glanced back at Sasuke. His look was plainly questioning. Sasuke shook his head and mouthed "No idea" to the blonde.

"Let's get some breakfast." Neji said, leading the way into the inn and heading for the dining area. Kiba, still holding Sasuke's hand, followed Neji, and only let go once the Uchiha had sat down next to him. Hinata sat talking quietly to Sakura about Tenten and Lee, whilst Neji and Naruto stared at each other. Shino, as always, seemed unaware of anything, even though he probably knew exactly what was happening around him.

Discreetly, almost shyly, Kiba rested one of his hands on Sasuke's leg under the table. He gave a light smile and turned to engage Shino in conversation.

:_Okay._: Sasuke thought, :_I have absolutely no idea what's going on now._:

They ate some ramen and drank fruit juice, then departed for their rooms, intent on sleep. As Sasuke entered the room he shared with Kiba, he noticed Hinata looking lost and confused.

"I'll be with you in a second." He told Kiba, then walked down the corridor to the white-eyed girl.

"Daijoubu, Hinata-chan?"

"I – I'm fine, th – thank you. Noting to worry about. How are y – you feeling, Sasuke?"

Sasuke smiled. "I'm perfectly fine Hinata. But thank you for asking. And thank you for the rescue."

Hinata nodded and returned his smile. Sasuke returned to his room, and opened the door.

Standing in front of him, completely naked, was Kiba. The Inuzuka's eyes where closed as he he yawned, unaware of Sasuke, who took the opportunity to admire his friends body. His muscles were perfectly defined, shapely.

Sasuke felt himself getting hard. Turning slightly, he coughed to announce his presence. Kiba's eyes shot open and he his face lit up like a bonfire.

"Sa – Sasuke! I – I well…"

"It's okay, Kiba," Sasuke replied, turning his back so that Kiba would not see the erection tenting his pants.

"I was going to go and shower now." Kiba muttered feebly behind him. Sasuke nodded.

"Okay. I should have knocked anyway."

He heard Kiba's feet on the wooden floor, moving toward the door of the bathroom, then he heard them stop.

Without warning, Kiba came up behind Sasuke and pressed his body against the Uchiha, wrapping his arms around his waist. He burrowed his face into Ssuke's neck, his lips brushing the skin gently.

"We still need to have that talk." Kiba said.

"Mmm." Was all Sasuke could reply with. It was taking all his restraint to keep himself from jumping on the Inuzuka.

Kiba's arms loosened slightly, and he pressed the palm of one hand firmly against Sasuke's erection, simultaneously rolling his hips forward. Sasuke gasped as he felt Kiba's erection press against him. He was so stunned by it that he didn't even notice when Kiba let go and walked into the bathroom.

Sitting on his bed, heart racing, he tried to piece together what was going on. Was Kiba playing with him? Did the Inuzuka plotting some twisted game? Or did he like Sasuke?

When Kiba returned, Sasuke took his turn in the shower. The hot water felt good as he stood there, trying to not think about Kiba's body. He wondered if Naruto had spoken to the Inuzuka Or, more likely, Neji. Sasuke had helped Neji out with Naruto, so maybe the Hyuga had decided to speak to Kiba for him. Either way, no matter what had happened, Sasuke was still confused.

Resigned to the fact that Kiba would now want to talk to him, Sasuke climbed out of the shower and ot dressed. He walked into the bedroom and rolled his eyes. Kiba was asleep! Muttering profanities, Sasuke climbed into his own bed and, without hesitating, fell asleep.

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A/N Kiba seems to have done a complete 360 since he first found out about the crush, but the drama is far from over. Things are never what they seem, and it's too good to be true…

Well, hope you enjoyed the chapter. More to come soon, so please leave a review

_Japanese: _

_Kuso: Shit._

_Gomenasai: I'm sorry._

_Dobe: Moron (loosely translated)_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Warnings: **Yaoi (boyXboy) If you don't like, don't read.

A/N: Sorry for the wait, been a bit hectic at work lately. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it.

Also, thank you to everyone that has reviewed, it means alot to me!

**Chapter 5**

Sasuke woke up early the next morning, intending to have that little talk with Kiba. It was painfully obvious that they needed to talk before things progressed. However, when Sasuke rolled over in his bed, he noticed that the Inuzuka wasn't there. Sighing to himself and wondering where Kiba had gone, Sasuke got out of bed and went into the bathroom. He turned on the shower, allowing the water to heat up, then undressed and squeezed himself into the tight space. He closed his eyes, letting the water run over his face and down his chest. There would be no time to talk to Kiba later; Sakura and Shino wanted to leave and carry on with the mission, which meant that everyone else would be around.

"Are you done yet?" A voice asked.

Whipping around with a startled oath, Sasuke saw Naruto and Neji standing by the shower smirking.

Hastily, the Uchiha grabbed a face cloth and covered his groin.

"Do you mind?" he asked pointedly, blushing to the roots of his hair.

Naruto shrugged. "Not much."

Neji stifled a laugh. "You'd better hurry, Sasuke. Sakura and Shino are going frantic."

"Already? The sun is barely up..."

Neji shrugged. "Just be quick. We've got to go."

As the Hyuga and Uzumaki left, Sasuke grumbled to himself. Now there would be no time to talk to Kiba.

He climbed out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist, then walked into the bedroom. As he made to dress himself, he heard Kiba's voice behind him.

"My God, Sasuke. Can't you wait until you're alone before you do that?"

Wheeling around, he saw the Inuzuka standing there with a disgusted expression on his tanned face.

"You didn't seem to have that problem yesterday." Sasuke pointed out.

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Uchiha. Just wait next time, or at least warn me so I can leave." And with that, Kiba stormed out of the room.

_:What's his problem?: _ Sasuke thought to himself as he pulled his clothing on. Kiba kept switching back and forth between disliking Sasuke for being gay, and being all over him. He was completely inconsistent.

When Sasuke joined the others in the taproom, he was aware of Kiba positioning himself as far as possible from him. Feeling irritated, Sasuke gave him one glance before focusing on the conversation.

"We'll need to be careful from now on." Shino was saying, "We've already been attacked several times, and Sasuke was placed under a genjutsu." Sasuke shuffled his feet and looked innocent. "So we need to keep our guard up at all times now. We can't take any risks."

Sakura nodded. "Also, we should stay in groups at all times. No one should wander off alone."

Neji cleared his throat loudly.

"Yes Neji?" Sakura asked him.

"What about my team mates? Isn't it possible that Tenten and Lee were also placed under a genjutsu, like Sasuke? They could be lying next to the road dying, and here we are planning to leave."

Shino looked at the Hyuga. "I suppose it is possible, but not very likely. Tenten and Lee vanished during the middle of a battle."

"Who's to say that they were captured, not killed?" Neji asked, his pugnacious attitude eliciting a sigh from Sakura.

"N – Neji, " Hinata stuttered. "Those nin – ninja were from th – the Hidden S – Sand. There's a good ch – chance that Tenten and L – Lee are there."

As always, speaking out was making Hinata's face flame. Neji looked at her, then sighed deeply.

"I hope you are right, Hinata-sama."

Sasuke noticed that the male Hyuga had unconsciously slipped an arm around Naruto's waist, unaware that he was doing it in front of everyone else. Sasuke guessed that it might have been the cause of Hinata's blush, as it was more pronounced than usual.

However, it was not long until others had begun to notice too.

"Um, Neji?" Sakura asked tentatively.

"Yes, Sakura?" Neji responded.

Sakura coughed. "Um, you're holding Naruto…"

Neji gulped. He made to remove the arm, but Naruto held it in place.

"What of it, Sakura?" Naruto said, supremely unconcerned.

"Are you guys a couple?" Sakura asked the Uzumaki.

"Yes."

Sasuke smiled. He was glad that Naruto was so comfortable with himself, and that he stood up to the others. His happiness, however, was not shared by everyone.

Kiba, his face red, made a retching sound.

"Fucking faggots." He said. "How could you disgrace your clans like that?"

Neji's eyes were like thunderclouds. "Shut your face, Inuzuka. It has nothing to do with you."

And while everyone else was congratulating the couple, Kiba walked purposefully out of the room, slamming the door as he went.

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"I am NOT going to team up with Kiba." Sasuke stated adamantly when Shino had suggested that the Uchiha and Inuzuka stick together.

"Fuck you then, Uchiha." Kiba said venomously, giving him the finger.

"What the hell is up with you guys?" Naruto whispered to Sasuke.

"Later." Sasuke said in a low voice. He was not prepared to be grouped together with Kiba after his outburst in the inn. If he was going to come onto him, then turn around and act homophobic, then the Inuzuka could go fuck himself.

They were leaving the village, walking through the gates and into another expanse of forest. According to Shino, it would only be a few more days until they reached Suna. The weather was beginning to turn nasty, ominous clouds rolling in and obscuring the sun. The group seemed to be affected by this, as while some were becoming withdrawn, others were prone to anger.

Sasuke was of the latter. His temper, already short by nature, was even shorter than usual. He was becoming increasingly moody, and was not inclined to talk much. As they entered the forest, Sasuke jumped into the nearest tree, moving along above the rest of the group. He watched as they paired up, ensuring that no one was left alone except for Sasuke. Sakura called to him, but he ignored her.

Activating his Sharingan, he scouted ahead of the group, not too close to them, but never very far should they have need of him.

_: Fucking Kiba: _Sasuke thought as he jumped from branch to branch. _:What the hell is he playing at?: _

He was so preoccupied that he didn't even notice that another ninja was sitting ahead of him, and as such, Sasuke nearly slammed into the person. At the last second, Sasuke registered the appearance of another person and flung himself left into the trunk of a tree. Fast as light, he pulled out several shuriken and kunai, hurling them at the place where the ninja had been, but he was no where in sight.

"You should be more observant of your surroundings, Sasuke." A familiar voice said behind him.

"Kakashi!" Sasuke exclaimed, turning to face his teacher. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was looking for you guys. I didn't realize that you were behind schedule."

"We ran into some trouble." Sasuke said evasively.

Kakashi studied his pupils face for a few moments, as if X-raying him for an answer.

"Let's rejoin the rest of your team. We have much to discuss."

Together, they jumped down to the ground, landing in the sand directly in front of everyone else.

Everyone reeled back in surprise, and there was much swearing before they realized who was there.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura and Naruto squealed, both of them running forward to greet him. Kakashi, however, held up a hand to halt them.

"I have grave news." He said with an odd note in his voice.

"What is it?" Neji asked, his face pale. He was obviously dreading bad news about his teammates.

"Yamanaka Ino and Akimichi Chouji have been killed. Nara Shikamaru is alive, but in critical condition. Hokage-sama is monitoring him."

Sakura fell to her knees.

"Ino-chan…"

"I'm sorry, Sakura."

"Who is responsible?" Naruto asked heatedly, his eyes turning red.

"We aren't sure yet. But we think it might have something to do with the Sand ninja."

"Gaara…" Neji muttered darkly.

Kakashi nodded and continued. "Which is why I am here: To tell you to turn around. There is a good chance that Konoha will be declaring war on Suna."

Hinata gasped.

"We can't turn around, Kakashi-san," Neji said suddenly. "My own teammates, Tenten and Lee, were kidnapped during a skirmish with a dozen Sand ninja. We have to rescue them!"

Kakashi regarded the Hyuga thoughtfully.

"Is this true?" He asked Sasuke.

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi sighed. "Then you will have to continue. But be careful. We have already lost two valued ninja. We don't need any more deaths."

And in an instant, he was gone.

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The group was silent for the rest of the day. No one spoke a single word as they continued toward Suna, a mysterious threat growing over their heads. Sasuke wondered why Gaara would do such a thing. Were they not his friends? Admittedly, it had not always been so, but after the Chuunin exams he had begun to loosen up, and eventually he had befriended them. Why would he now suddenly turn against them?

They reached another small village as night fell and a heavy rain came down on them. The took refuge in another inn, deciding that it would be best to continue the following day.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura said quietly, her voice hoarse from lack of speech.

"Yes Sakura?" He replied.

"Don't be mad, but we're going to have to have the same sleeping arrangements that we had in the previous village, which means you'll be bunking with Kiba."

After a few moments, Sasuke looked at her.

"Hn" He said, shrugging and acting unconcerned, but inside anger was welling up again.

After a several minutes, during which Shino arranged their accommodations, Sasuke walked up a flight of stairs and into the inn room. This one was far more spacious, and contained two double beds. Throwing down his backpack, Sasuke climbed onto one of the beds, laying on his back. Shortly after, Kiba entered as well.

"I can't believe what happened to Ino and Chouji." The Inuzuka said quietly to Sasuke, asif nothing had happened between them earlier.

"Yeah" Sasuke said shortly.

"I can't understand this, why the hell would Gaara risk war with Konoha? And why would he kill those two?"

"I don't know." Sasuke snipped, climbing under the blankets of his bed and turninghis back on Kiba.

He closed his eyes, wanting to fall asleep quickly, but the images of Ino and Chouji played through his mind incessantly, tormenting him.

Shaking his head lightly, he opened his eyes and stared at the white wall next to the bed.

_:Everything is so messed up.: _He thought.

He felt a slight weight on the bed, and before he knew it, Kiba was laying next to him.

"I don't want to sleep alone." The Inuzuka said softly, wrapping an arm around Sasuke and pulling him up against his body.

Sasuke's mind felt paralyzed. He didn't know what to do.

"Kiba, what the – " He started to say, but Kiba kissed the back of Sasuke's neck gently as he whispered a simple goodnight into his ear. Within seconds, Kiba began to snore lightly.

_:WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?: _Sasuke thought to himself, though he relished being in Kiba's arms.

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A/N: This chapter is a bit messy, I know. But everything will be made clear in time. Once again, sorry for the long wait.

Hope you enjoyed, please leave me a little review to let me know what you think. And if anyone has any suggestions, feel free to let me know and I'll try to put it into the story.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I'm pretty sure I don't own Naruto…

**Disclaimer: **I'm pretty sure I don't own Naruto…

**Warnings: **Yaoi (boyXboy) and Language

A/N: Hey hey, I'm back with another chapter. So yeah, Kiba is being an ass, Sasuke is confused, and Naruto and Neji are together… Let's see if anything lasts…

**Chapter 6**

When Sasuke awoke the next morning, he was pleasantly surprised to find that Kiba's arms were still around him, his face nuzzled into Sasuke's neck. His breath was warm and comforting against Sasuke's skin, and the Uchiha didn't want to move away from this. He might as well savor the moment before the Inuzuka had another mood swing. Kiba grunted softly in his sleep, one of his hands sliding under Sasuke's shirt and holding him. Aroused by the contact, Sasuke devoutly hoped that Kiba wouldn't wake up any time soon.

Nearly an hour passed, and Sasuke decided to get pup and seek the others, in order to find out what their plan for today was. He extracted himself from Kiba's arms and sat up, but within a second the Inuzuka's arms were around his waist once more.

"Where are you going?" Kiba asked, a pout on his cute lips.

"I was going to talk to the others, find out about things for the day." Sasuke replied, trying to quell the slight quiver in his voice.

Kiba's grip tightened. "I want you to stay here with me."

"Um, okay Kiba. I'll stay." Sasuke stuttered, feeling confused.

Kiba smiled and pulled the Uchiha back down onto the bed, so that he was on his back. He climbed on top of Sasuke, one leg on either side of his body, and lay down on Sasuke's chest. Sasuke immediately noticed that the Inuzuka had a throbbing arousal.

"K – Kiba – "

"What's wrong, Sasu-kun?" Kiba asked innocently.

Sasuke shook his head jerkily. Kiba leaned to him and put their lips together, kissing gently but with passion. Unconsciously, Sasuke's hands slipped under Kiba's shirt, roaming his back. Kiba moaned into Sasuke's mouth, grinding his erection against the Uchiha, turning him on. Sasuke slid his tongue into Kiba's open mouth, tasting him, exploring. He slipped one hand under the back of Kiba's pants, gripping his firm ass, while the other hand caressed the Inuzuka's chest. Kiba pulled away for a second, yanking off his shirt and then Sasuke's, and then crushed their lips together again. Sasuke buckled his hips involuntarily, grinding their erections together.

"Sasuke," Kiba moaned softly. "Don't stop."

Sasuke, his head spinning, grinded harder against his friend, biting his lip to keep from shouting out. Kiba rocked his hips forward, panting and moaning Sasuke's name. When neither could take it anymore, they pressed hard against one another, moaning and coming in their pants. Kiba's body shook with his orgasm, and he collapsed on top of Sasuke, his hands still roaming the Uchiha's body. Likewise, Sasuke held Kiba tightly.

How long they stayed in that position Sasuke didn't know, but after what seemed like either a few seconds or an eternity, they got up and showered one after the other, an awkward silence pressing down on them.

While Kiba showered, Sasuke, now in clean clothes, sat on his bed thinking to himself.

:_That was unexpected. It was amazing. It felt so good… but now he's probably going to ignore me again, go back to how he's been for the past few days._:

Sasuke angrily threw a pillow at the bathroom door, not noticing that it opened as the pillow left his hand.

Kiba barely had time to duck.

"What was that for?" He asked with a worried frown.

Sasuke grimaced. "Sorry. I didn't see you there."

The Inuzuka shrugged and sat beside Sasuke, his body still dripping. His fingers laced with the Uchiha's, and his head was against his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke."

"What for, Kiba?" Sasuke asked, acting oblivious.

"You know what for. I've been treating you like shit. I've been a prick toward everyone."

Sasuke sighed. "Yeah. Why Kiba? What's been making you like this."

Kiba sat there for nearly a minute before replying.

"I can't tell you. I will, once I can, but for now I can't answer."

Sasuke nodded.

"So what are we? What is this thing we just did?"

He had to know. He needed to know if it was just a spur of the moment decision, or if Kiba wanted something more.

Kiba considered the question. "I'd – I'd like for this to be more than one fuck in an inn, Sasu-kun. I think I want us to be – you know – together."

Sasuke smiled, his stomach filled with butterflies. He hugged Kiba.

"Then let's be together."

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They arrived in the taproom hand in hand, spotting Naruto and Neji sitting by a table. They walked over and smiled at them. Neji gave them a confused look before returning to his coffee, but Naruto stared at them openly.

"Good morning Naru-kun." Sasuke said, acting as though nothing was different as he sat, still holding Kiba's hand. Instead of sitting next to Sasuke, Kiba sat on his lap and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

Naruto stared at him.

"Sasuke!" Naruto whined, "Stop being an ass! What's going on?"

Kiba giggled, and then adopted a stern look. "Don't call my boyfriend an ass, Uzumaki."

Naruto seemed to go into a state of shock. He spluttered a few incoherent words, and then put his head on his arms, staring at the table.

"Boyfriend?" Neji asked coolly.

Sasuke blushed. "Yeah."

"Since?"

"This morning."

Neji smiled lightly. "I'm happy for you guys."

"Thanks." Kiba replied, nuzzling into Sasuke's neck affectionately.

Shortly after, Shino, Sakura and Hinata arrived. They gave Sasuke and Kiba, who were kissing each other, a puzzled look before getting ready to start planning for the day.

"We're close to Suna now." Shino said, "And we need to keep a look out for Tenten and Lee. Also, If Gaara is behind all the trouble we've been having, we need to be wary of any ninja from the Hidden Sand."

"And if he is responsible for what's happened, we can kill him as retribution for what he has done to Konoha." Neji said darkly.

"And retribution for Ino and Chouji." Sakura said quietly.

The pink haired girl had barely spoken since she learned about the deaths of two of her friends, particularly Ino. Sasuke sighed deeply, wondering what had driven Gaara to this. Naruto seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

"We need to find out why Gaara did it too." He said, his voice a low growl. Of everyone, he seemed to take it the hardest, as he knew Gaara the best.

Shino nodded. "We're going to need Neji and Hinata to keep a constant lookout with their Byakugan as we approach Suna, and Sasuke's Sharingan as well."

Sasuke, Neji and Hinata nodded.

They finished their planning and ate a quick breakfast, leaving the inn as soon as they could. Sasuke walked at the head of the group, his Sharingan activated. Kiba was beside him, holding his hand and keeping him engaged in conversation.

"So Sasu," Kiba said, "I want to know something…"

"Yes, Kiba-kun?"

"Why is it that you chose me over Naruto?"

Sasuke wasn't sure if he understood the question.

"What do you mean, Kiba?"

"Come on, Sasuke. Everyone knows that Naruto was in love with you."

Sasuke stared at him.

Kiba smirked, but slowly the smirk slid off of his face.

"You didn't know?" He asked.

Dumbly, Sasuke shook his head.

Kiba sighed. "Shit."

"How do you know this?" Sasuke whispered in a strangled voice.

Kiba looked surprised. "Everyone knew. He told many people about his crush on you. Didn't you ever wonder why he sneaks into your apartment and sleeps next to you? Or why he always insists that you're around him?"

Sasuke just shook his head again. He didn't know that the blonde loved him… he was completely oblivious. But now that he thought back on it, he saw it. All the little hints that Naruto had dropped him, all the times Naruto had let on that he wanted him.

Sasuke was speechless.

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"I thought you knew." Kiba said quietly.

Sasuke sighed. "I had no idea. I mean, Naruto and I had sex a few times, but I always thought he wasn't really into it. He seemed – distracted. Every time."

Kiba nodded, "Probably because he felt guilty about it. Sleeping with you when you didn't love him."

"That was never a problem when I slept with Neji." Sasuke said without thinking.

"Neji too?' Kiba asked incredulously. "Slut."

Sasuke and Kiba shared a laugh.

"Maybe, but I'm your slut, right Kiba?"

Kiba laughed again and hugged Sasuke. "You got that right."

"Sand ninja!" Hinata said sharply from behind them.

Neji looked in the direction she was pointing. "Yes. A mile off, heading this way fast."

He looked toward Shino and Sakura.

"In the trees, quickly!" Sakura said.

They all jumped between the thick, leaf covered branches above them. Sasuke pressed his back against one of the trunks, hiding in the shadows. He saw the ninja stop where they had been a second ago. There were half a dozen of them.

"They were here." One of the ninja said.

"The trees." Another said, and the jumped among the branches.

Sasuke heard a sound next to him and made to draw a kunai.

"Relax." Kiba's voice came to him. Sasuke let go of the kunai. Kiba pressed against Sasuke and began to kiss him fiercely.

They stood like that for a few minutes, almost forgetting about the Sand ninja, until one yelled in triumph. Sasuke and Kiba peered around the branches, only to see one of the ninja dragging Hinata by her hair, a kunai pressed against her throat.

Without a sound, Sasuke, Kiba, Sakura, Shino, Naruto and Neji al stepped from their hiding places to confront the attackers.

"Let her go." Kiba growled out.

The ninja began making hand seals, but didn't get far. Sakura darted in and rammed a kunai into his ribcage. But instead of dying, he vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Shadow duplicates!" Naruto hissed.

Hinata, now free of the sand ninja, staggered to her feet, but that was a mistake.

Kunai and shuriken flew from the remaining ninja, flying towards the quiet, white eyed girl. She didn't have time to react.

Sasuke called out to her, stretching a hand out. Kiba screamed. Shino moved.

Over a dozen shuriken and kunai buried themselves in Shino's flesh, cutting into him. Time seemed frozen as Shino stood in front of Hinata, who was trembling.

"Shino…" she whispered.

A cough.

Blood gushed from his mouth, splattering the trees bark.

"Shino!" Kiba screamed, dashing to his dying team mate.

"No…" Sasuke said.

One by one, the shadow duplicates vanished, leaving only the real ninja behind.

Enraged beyond reason, Sasuke summoned the Chidori and rushed him, driving the lightning based jutsu into the sand ninja's chest. As the ninja fell to the ground, Sasuke turned to his friends, who were crouched around Shino.

Pale faced and shivering, Shino lay whispering to Kiba and Hinata, who were crying over their fallen comrade. Sakura walked over to the dead sand ninja and, without changing her expressing, she sliced open his throat and buried a kunai in his heart.

"Shino…" Sasuke whispered.

"There's nothing we can do." Sakura replied, tears falling from her green eyes.

Sasuke's heart broke for Kiba as he watched the Inuzuka, who was clutching Shino's limp hand.

"Nothing we can do." Sasuke repeated. "Nothing but cut the price of this from Gaara's skin…

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A/N: Yeah yeah, I'm a horrible person. I killed Ino and Chouji, now I killed Shino. But the surprise is yet to come once they reach Suna…

So leave me a review and I'll continue the story.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I semi-sorta think that I don't own Naruto…

**Disclaimer: **I semi-sorta think that I don't own Naruto…

**Warnings: **Yaoi (boyXboy) and Language

A/N: Yeah… I know you all hate me for killing Shino, but you will understand why I did it eventually.

Hope the last chapter was good, here is yet another one. Enjoy

And cookies to everyone who has reviewed so far!!

**Chapter 7**

Shino's death was a shock to them. Hinata was beside herself with grief, and Kiba was not much better. Naruto seemed to be in shock.

Sasuke sat next to Kiba by the camp fire, talking quietly to Sakura and Neji. Of the group, it seemed that Sasuke and Neji were holding up the best. Although Sakura was acting normal, she was highly emotional, often shaking.

"We need to decide what our next move will be." Neji said.

Sasuke nodded. "Should we head back, or go on to Suna?"

Neji and Sakura sat in silence, thinking it over.

"I think," Sakura said quietly, "I think we should go back to Konoha."

Sasuke was a little taken aback. "Really?"

"Face it, Sasuke," the pink haired girl said derisively, "Ino and Chouji were killed by sand ninja. Tenten and Lee are missing. And now Shino was killed. This all points back to Gaara."

"So?" Neji said. "Isn't that a reason to go toward Suna?"

Sakura glared at the Hyuga. "No it isn't! If we do, then what will it help? Just to see which of us die next?" Sakura was becoming hysterical.

"Sakura, listen to yourself!" Sasuke said sharply. "If we leave now, we'll be guaranteeing a war between Konoha and Suna. How many will die then?"

Sakura stared at him blankly.

"So you think we should continue?" Neji asked.

Sasuke nodded his reply. "We need to find out what's going on. Something about this isn't right. Gaara wouldn't risk a war between the Sand and the Leaf. He knows better."

"Someone else then?" Kiba whispered, so quietly as to almost not be heard.

Sasuke involuntarily tightened his grip around Kiba's shoulders.

"Yes. Someone who wants war to break out."

Neji nodded. "I am in agreement with Sasuke, Sakura-chan."

Hinata, who was sitting on the opposite side of the fire, spoke up for the first time since Shino died.

"We sh –should press on, S – Sakura."

Sakura merely shrugged.

Sasuke looked at Kiba, the red tattoos on his cheeks stained with tears. He was deeply wounded by the lose of his friend, and the absence of Akamaru was causing him much pain.

:"_Where's Akamaru?" Sasuke had asked after they left Konoha._

"_Kurenai-sensei told me to leave him behind because it's too dangerous and so that I can learn to depend on myself as well as him":_

Sasuke could only imagine the pain that the separation must be causing Kiba. He pressed his body against Kiba and whispered words of comfort to him, wishing he could turn back time and save Shino.

But that was impossible. There was no way to bring him back from the dead.

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That night, Sasuke held Kiba tightly as he whimpered in his sleep. He thought to himself about all the things that had been happening. Gaara, although he had been prone to violence and insanity in the past, was not capable of this. He had changed after the Chuunin exams, becoming a lot different to how he used to be. He had learned compassion, and Sasuke could not believe that he could do this.

"This wasn't Gaara." Sasuke said aloud.

"I was just thinking the same thing." Neji's voice whispered in the darkness.

"Can't you sleep either?"

"No. I keep thinking about Shino. And I keep wondering if the same has happened to Tenten and Lee. I almost wish that we could find their bodies, just so that I would know."

Sasuke sighed. Neji's hurt tone cut him to the bone.

"I think I know what you mean, Neji. The waiting is almost worse than knowing."

"What I don't get Sasuke, is that I know that this wasn't Gaara. I know that. But then who? Who has gotten access to the sand ninja?"

"I don't know. But we need to find out soon."

There was silence for a few minutes as the both thought about it.

"We'll get to Suna tomorrow. Let's hope to find some answers."

Sasuke grunted. He thought back to what Kiba had told him before Shino's death.

"Neji… " Sasuke said tentatively.

"Yes, Sasu-kun?"

"Kiba- Kiba told me earlier that Naruto was in love with me."

Neji stayed silent.

"He said that everyone knew about it."

He heard Neji sigh deeply.

"Did you know, Neji?"

"Yes, Sasuke. I knew that Naruto loved you. I'm sure he still does. But he got tired of waiting for you, so he went for the next best thing."

Sasuke grunted.

"If you're only the next best thing, why is he happier than I have ever seen him?"

"I don't know." Neji replied petulantly.

"Neji, I've seen Naruto hook up with a lot of people. He has never been happy with any of them. But with you he's almost unbearably happy."

"You think so?" Neji pleaded.

"I know it." Sasuke replied. "He loves you."

"Thank you, Sasuke." Neji said, then fell silent again.

Sasuke sighed into the dark night. He wanted to get this over with and go back to the uncomplicated existence he had led in Konoha. But a part of him knew that it would never be the same.

The next day, they ate a breakfast of eggs and bacon before starting on the final stretch of their journey. The group was in a darkly ominous mood, each one planning a form of revenge on the person that had killed their friends. Hinata in particular was in a strange mood. She was aggressive and short with everyone, her usual stuttering lost in her anger. Kiba was completely silent, and Sakura was muttering to herself under her breath.

Sasuke studied the expressions of his friends. They were morbid and filled with vengeful determination, each one willing to sacrifice their life to avenge their fallen friends. Naruto sat near Sasuke, idly toying with a kunai.

"Sasu-kun?" Naruto said.

"Hn." Sasuke replied to show that he was listening.

"I'm tired of this. I want to finish this."

"I know, Naruto-kun. We're almost their."

Sasuke stood up.

"Lets go everybody." He said.

They gathered their things and stood, then, as once, began to walk. Within half an hour, they had left the shade of the forest and had entered the harsh, unyielding desert, the sun blazing brightly above them. Trees gave way to dunes and hills, stone walls and deep canyons. After a few miles, they stopped to drink some water.

Sasuke walked up to Neji after the Hyuga had had a drink.

"Neji," He said, "I think you should do some quick scouting. Just so we don't walk into a trap."

Neji nodded. The veins on the side of his head bulged slightly as he activated his Byakugan.

"What do you see, Nee-san?" Hinata asked her cousin.

"I see sand." He replied dryly. "Lots and lots of…"

His voice trailed off. With a gasp, he shielded his eyes from the suns glare with a hand, staring intently at a rock face in the distance.

"There's someone buried there!"

He pointed to a place where there was obviously once a cave mouth, which was now blocked off with boulders.

"Are you sure Neji?" Sakura asked sharply.

"Hai" He replied. "I can see their chakra. It's barely flowing though. Whoever is there, they are close to death."

Sasuke gasped. "We need to get there."

He activated his Sharingan, searching for any movement in the vicinity, but finding none. He raced toward the cliff face, with the others close behind.

When the got to the boulders, they noticed just how big they were.

"How will we get past this?" Sakura said quietly.

Sasuke grunted in frustration. Moving quickly, he used the Chidori, shattering one of the boulders into a rain of sand.

"Great." Hinata said sarcastically. "No can you do that to the other ones?"

Sasuke shook his head. To use the Chidori again would drain him of his chakra, hindering their progress.

Hinata stepped forward. "Stand back." She instructed her friends.

She took a deep, steadying breath and took on a look of intense concentration.

"Shugohakke Rokujuu Yonshou!"

Her chakra whips cut through the air with a whistling sound, slicing the rocks apart. She focused her chakra with such precision that the boulders were cut cleanly, sliding apart and falling to the ground with thud after thud.

Within a few minutes, the doorway was open enough for them to squeeze through. Sasuke's Sharingan, which lessened the darkness of the cave, instantly saw the scene for what it was. Gaara. Laying face done in the dirt, barely breathing. There was a large swelling on the back of his head, and one of his cheeks carried a dark purple bruise.

"Sakura!" Sasuke shouted, "Get in here!"

Sakura came bolting through the opening as Sasuke lit a match, illuminating the scene.

"Oh my god…" Sakura whispered. "How did the attacker manage to get close enough?"

Sasuke shook his head. "I don't know. Can you heal him?"

Sakura cupped her hands over the wound on Gaara's head and began to use her chakra to heal while Sasuke watched. As far as Sasuke could remember, only highly trained taijutsu and ninjutsu could penetrate Gaara's sand shield, and it was confusing that the attacker had allowed the Kazekage to live.

While Sakura continued to focus her energies, the others came into the cave. They took in the scene and immediately began debating the possibilities. All except for Neji and Hinata. The two Hyuga's were watching Gaara with stoic, frozen expressions.

"Sabaku no Gaara…" Neji said in a low venomous voice.

"We should kill him now!" Hinata said hysterically, moving forward a pace, but Naruto stepped in front of her.

"Baka! How can he be responsible if he's been attacked?"

Sasuke nodded. "Naruto is right. We should at least find out more before making any rash decisions.

Hinata glared at Sasuke.

"That's easy for you to say, Uchiha! He didn't kill one of your team mates!"

Sasuke appraised her coolly.

"Nor did he kill one of yours, Hyuga. He's unconscious, and probably had nothing to do with Shino's death.

"Fuck you!" Hinata screamed. She knocked Naruto aside with a movement so fast that he barely had time feel it before hitting the ground. She darted in, kunai raised, aiming for Gaara's throat.

Sasuke side stepped in front of her, looking her in the eyes. His Sharingan started to spin, and within moments the tiny girl collapsed to the floor in a deep slumber.

He turned to Neji, who had remained motionless.

"Do you have anything to say?"

Neji looked at him.

"I will first hear what the Kazekage has to say for himself. Then I will decide."

Sasuke nodded.

It took nearly another fifteen minutes before Sakura's healing finally revived Gaara and bought him back to consciousness.

"Who did this, Gaara?" Sakura asked urgently, before anyone else could voice an opinion on the matter.

Gaara looked around at them with a vaguely dazed expression for a moment before whispering his reply.

"Aburame Shino."

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A/N: Another messy chapter, sorry. The next one is going to be an interesting one, when the plot finally begins to unravel… slightly…

So, review please! I beg of you!!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: As far as I know, I don't own Naruto or any of its characters

**Disclaimer: **As far as I know, I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Warnings: **LemonYaoi (boyXboy) and fucked up language.

**Chapter 8**

Sasuke stared at Gaara in disbelief. It was impossible.

"Shino?" Kiba yelled, incensed by the Kazekage's accusation. "He wouldn't have attacked you! And even if he would, he never had the chance, because he was with us until recently, when a sand ninja killed him!"

Gaara grunted. "The one that was with you was merely a copy. The real Shino is very much alive."

"B – but Gaara – " Naruto started to say, but Kiba cut across him.

"This is pure fucking madness. Shino is dead, Kazekage, because of your ninja! You are responsible!"

Gaara glared at the Inuzuka. "I wish I had ordered his death. At least then I would have had revenge for him killing Kankuro."

Sasuke stepped forward. "He killed your brother?"

Gaara nodded. "Before you left Suna last time," He said to Kiba, "he managed to get into Kankuro's room. They fought. Kankuro was attacked by Shino's kikai, then stabbed repeatedly in the heart."

Kiba, who looked dumbfounded for a second, snorted.

"Where's your proof?" he said arrogantly.

Gaara smiled. "My proof, Inuzuka Kiba, is currently sleeping, thanks to Sasuke."

Sasuke spun around and looked at Hinata's tiny form, lying curled on the ground.

"Hi – Hinata-chan?" Sakura asked. Her breathing was ragged from the exhaustion of healing Gaara.

"Yes." Gaara responded. "I take it that she fell into sleep from the Sharingan?" he directed at Sasuke.

"Yes," Sasuke admitted. "She tried to attack you while you were unconscious. She wanted revenge."

Gaara nodded. "Well, Hinata-dono came to me on the evening of Kankuro's death. We were discussing my brother, and she activated her Byakugan to find him. That's when she saw him kill Kankuro. She told me what was happening, and begged me to not kill her team mate. Against my better judgment, I allowed Shino to leave Suna thinking that no one knew what he had done. I just let my brother's killer walk free."

Gaara's voice was a whisper now, choked with sorrow and regret. Kiba looked at him, and then crossed over to Hinata.

Neji looked from the Kazekage to his sleeping cousin, a look of curiosity on his face.

"If she can tell me that what you say is true, Gaara," he said, "I will believe it."

He knelt down and beckoned Sakura over.

"I know you're tired, Sakura-chan," he whispered quietly so that only Sakura and Sasuke could hear him, "But I need to hear what Hinata has to say. Please wake her."

Sakura nodded. As she set to work, Sasuke crossed over to Kiba. He wanted to hold him, but was unsure of how the temperamental Inuzuka would react. But he need not have worried. Kiba wrapped an arm around Sasuke's waist and pulled him close to himself, nuzzling into the Uchiha's neck.

"Daijoubu, Kiba-kun?" Sasuke whispered softly.

"Hai." Kiba replied faintly.

Hinata stirred and began to wake, lifting her head slightly. She smiled to Kiba, then looked at Sasuke.

Sasuke felt a little guilty as she gazed at him, thinking about what he had done to her. He opened his mouth to apologize, but before he could –

"I'm s - sorry, Sasuke-dono.

Confused, the young Uchiha nodded.

Hinata looked at Gaara and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Kazekage-sama. I should n - not have attacked you."

Gaara nodded.

"Hinata-sama," Gaara said. "I need you to tell them what you saw the night before you departed Suna."

Hinata's face paled.

"G- Gaar – ra, I – " She stammered, looking fearful.

"Please Hinata. They need to know."

"Please, Hinata." Naruto pleaded.

"Tell us, Hinata-sama." Neji said.

Hinata bowed her head. She tried to argue, but the Kazekage was persistent. Eventually, she gave in.

"Alright…"

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Finally, some truth. Hinata's story was the same as Gaara's, although she described the battle between Kankuro and Shino in greater detail. According to her tale, Kankuro put up a spectacular fight before his death. Neji remained stony face throughout the recitation, as if he had almost expected this.

Sasuke wondered absently how Shino had gotten through Gaara's defenses, but immediately saw the light. His kikai would easily be able to get to Gaara without the Kazekage's knowledge and drain him.

Hinata finished her story, and a heavy silence fell upon the group.

Kiba was holding tightly onto Sasuke, his smell filling the Uchiha's nostrils and intoxicating him.

"I don't kn – know what h – happened afterwards." Hinata concluded with an expectant look at Gaara.

"Easily remedied." Gaara sad. "Not long after you left Suna, Arabume Shino appeared once more. He told me that there had been trouble in the desert and that he needed help. When I offered to send some ninja, he refused, saying that I should come here in person."

Sakura snorted. "Why did you fall for that if you knew he just killed your brother?"

Gaara shrugged. "I hoped to confront him about Kankuro's murder. That is the only reason I came. But his kikai swarmed me just outside this cave. I don't remember anything else."

There was silence. There was no doubt that the story was true, if Hinata had seen Kankuro die at Shino's hand.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kiba asked the Hyuga.

Hinata trembled slightly. "He forbade it." She whispered. "When I told h – him I knew, he forbade me to tell anyone at all. E – even you, K – Kiba."

Kiba sighed deeply.

Sasuke hugged his boyfriend, thinking hard about what they had learned. What he couldn't understand was how Shino sought to benefit from this. He imagined who Shino had consorted with to scheme this, to kill Kankuro, to attempt the murder of Gaara… Then it hit him.

"Temari…"

Gaara looked sharply at him. "What about her?"

Sasuke knew, without knowing how, that Gaara's older sister would be the next one targeted. He let go of Kiba with a pang of regret and looked at Gaara. Naruto seemed to have caught on too.

"Think about it, Gaara." The blonde said, "First Kankuro, then nearly you… He's trying to assassinate your family."

Gaara's face went pale.

"We need to get to Suna! I have to warn her."

Sakura shook her head. "I'm sorry Gaara, but you aren't going anywhere until tomorrow. Not in the condition that you are in."

Sasuke nodded. "We can camp here tonight, then head to Suna in the morning.

Sitting aroung a warm fire later that night, Sasuke dozed off slightly, holding onto Kiba to keep from falling over. The Inuzuka was sitting on the Uchiha's lap, talking quietly with Hinata about their former comrade. At one point, Kiba shifted his weight slightly, wriggling his bottom. Sasuke jolted awake, his member growing hard at the friction. He could feel his erection pressing against Kiba's backside, and it was only a matter of time before he noticed it.

"There's something poking me." Kiba complained in a low whisper to his lover, unaware of what that something was. To try to get comfortable again, he wriggled his backside again. Sasuke grew harder and moaned softly.

Kiba froze as realization flooded over him.

"I'm so sorry, Sasuke!" He whispered, blushing hard.

"Its okay." Sasuke whispered back from between clenched teeth.

Kiba's look of embarrassment was quickly replaced by an evil grin. Purposefully, he shifted position again, causing Sasuke to gasp aloud.

"Is something wrong, Sasuke-kun?" Naruto asked with a look of concern. The Uzumaki had his arm around Neji, who was asleep on his shoulder.

"Everything's fine, Naruto-kun. Thank you."

Kiba shifted again, this time grinding down onto Sasuke.

"Stop." Sasuke whispered desperately.

"Why?" Kiba asked with a smirk.

"If you don't stop I'm going to come in my pants." Sasuke ground out.

Kiba grinned again. "Let's go keep guard outside, Sasu." He said with a devilish look.

Sasuke immediately caught the implications. They stood up, Kiba standing in front of Sasuke to hide the tent in his pants, and muttered a feeble excuse to keep watch, then they quickly exited the cave.

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Kiba's arms were instantly around Sasuke's waist, toying with the belt line of his pants.

"So what do you want to do, Sasuke?" He asked innocently.

Sasuke pressed his groin against Kiba's, not surprised to find that the Inuzuka was already sporting an arousal.

"Do you want me to suck you?" Kiba asked, but Sasuke shook his head.

"I want to fuck you." He whispered.

Kiba looked scared for a second, then relaxed. "You'll need lubrication…"

And without preamble, he pulled down Sasuke's pants and began to lather his throbbing erection with saliva. Sasuke groaned in pleasure, bucking his hips, pushing into Kiba's mouth. Kiba pulled away for a second.

"Careful, Sasu-kun. You don't want to come too early."

He stood again and leaned over with his back to Sasuke, who yanked down his pants and pressed him against the rocky wall.

Slowly, the Uchiha pushed into his tight entrance, going slowly so he didn't hurt the Inuzuka. Once his length was completely in, he waited a few moments for Kiba to get used to it, then began to steadily push in and out of him, panting hard. It was better by far than any sex he had experienced thus far.

After a short while, Kiba dropped one of his arms and began to play with himself, turning Sasuke on even more. He gave a few finale thrusts and came deep inside the Inuzuka. Kiba followed soon after, nearly shouting out as he sprayed his seed onto the rock.

Panting and struggling to breathe, they kissed passionately before sitting down against one another.

Silence fell on them, but it was a content silence. Sasuke snuggled against Kiba, breathing in his sent and enjoying the moment.

Kiba was nearly asleep on Sasuke's shoulder, barely still conscious.

"I love you, Sasuke." He whispered.

Sasuke kissed the top of his head. "I love you too"

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The following morning, they prepared to leave in search of Temari. Neji and Naruto were making silent plans, Sakura and Gaara spoke quietly about the attack on him. Hinata sat alone, not wishing for company.

Sasuke could see that things were not going well. The teams were falling apart, and they all fought with each other. Maybe not on the outside, but inside the battles raged against one another.

An hour passed before they were ready. Eventually, they left their cave and headed out to Suna. It would be only a matter of hours before they reached their destination.

Today they would face one of the biggest battles they could ever imagine…

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A/N I apologize deeply for the wait for this chapter. I have had very little time to myself. I wont make any promises, but I'll try to have the next chapter up much sooner. And it's gonna be a good one.

Thanx again to all my lovely reviewers, it means a lot guys!


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I own not Naruto… As far as I know…

**Disclaimer: **I own not Naruto… As far as I know…

**Warnings: **Yaoi (boyXboy) and language. Deal with it.

A/N: Sorry it's taking me so damn long to update, I just never find the time. But this story is a long way from finished, so please bear with me.

Now, onto the kinky smex – I mean, the story…

**Chapter 9**

Early the next morning, they packed up there things and headed out towards Suna, hoping to find Gaara's sister before Shino did.

Sasuke was groggy and disorientated, lack of sleep sapping his body of its usual stamina.

"Daijoubu Sasuke-kun?" Kiba asked the young Uchiha, looking concerned.

"O-kage sama de, Kiba. I just need to get some sleep."

Kiba nodded sympathetically, but Sasuke couldn't help but notice that he was avoiding eye contact.

:_Is he going back to the way he used to be? Or did I do something wrong?_:

Sasuke looked closely at his boyfriend, wondering what his problem was.

He noticed that Kiba was watching Neji rather closely and immediately became suspicious.

"I'm going to scout ahead." Sasuke stated. "Naruto, will you come with me?"

The blonde looked a little confused, but nodded and followed the Uchiha as he sped off into the distance.

Once they had distanced themselves from the rest of the group, Sasuke slowed down and came to a halt.

He thought about how he should phrase what he wanted to say, and decided to just be blunt about it.

"Naruto," he said, "has Neji been sleeping with Kiba?"

The blonde looked astounded. "What?"

Sasuke sighed. "Kiba has been acting strange, and when I'm talking to him, he keeps looking at Neji. I just want to know if they are screwing each other."

Naruto frowned. "Neji has been a little distant lately," he said slowly, "and he does keep vanishing without telling me what he's up to…"

"Those bastards." Sasuke said heatedly.

"Do you really think they…"

"Yes, Naruto-kun. I think they have been."

A single tear escaped from Naruto's eye, and Sasuke realized just how much this information had hurt the Uzumaki.

"I'm sorry Naruto. I shouldn't have brought this up, and - "

But the Uzumaki exploded into rage.

"No! I don't care what you think, Sasuke, but I'm not going to let that fucking Hyuga screw me over! And if you're as smart as everyone says, you won't let Kiba hurt you either!"

"Naruto…"

"WHAT?" Naruto screamed. "I'm sick of this, Sasuke. I'm sick and tired of people hurting me. To tell the truth, I don't even really love Neji. I love -"

The blonde fell silent.

"You love me, right Naru-kun?" Sasuke whispered quietly.

Naruto looked stunned.

"How…?"

"Kiba told me." Sasuke admitted. "But I guess I should have noticed sooner. I was oblivious to all the passes you made at me."

Naruto stayed sighed deeply. "And now it's too late, isn't it?"

Sasuke smiled softly. "I wouldn't say that, Naruto. You never know…"

Naruto leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Sasuke's lips.

"You taste as sweet as ever, Uchiha."

Sasuke grinned.

"We'd better get a move on, before Gaara looses another sibling."

Naruto nodded. "I've always liked Temari. She was never as mean as Gaara, nor as stuffy as Kankuro."

"Hn." Sasuke grunted, feeling jealous from Naruto's remark. "She's alright, I guess."

Naruto giggled. "You're still better, Sasuke-kun. Now I see why Sakura was always sucking up to you, you get jealous very easily."

Sasuke felt his face go red.

"I – you – Sakura never sucked up to me! And you know full well that there was never anything between her and me."

Naruto giggled again. "You know, I think she still has some hopes for you. She doesn't understand that you don't fancy girls."

Sasuke spluttered and jumped up onto a boulder, then quickly made his way away from his blonde friend.

:_Maybe what I'm doing is wrong?_": He thought to himself :_Am I just giving Naruto false hope? What if Kiba and I stay together? I don't want to lead him on, just to crush his heart…_:

Suna was in sight. Sasuke perched precariously on a boulder top and waited for the others to arrive…

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"So Gaara," Sakura said, "Where do we start to look for Temari?"

Gaara turned to the pink haired girl. "Probably in one of the office buildings. You know that she's working as ambassador between Suna and Konoha, right?"

Sakura nodded. "I heard about that."

Hinata came forward to Sakura. "S – Sak – ura-chan," she stuttered.

"Hai?"

"What if Tem – mari is in Konoha? Sh – she's d – dating Shikamaru, isn't sh – she?"

"Shit." Gaara said. "I hadn't thought about that…"

Sasuke shook his head. "We aren't going to travel all the way back to Konoha now, are we?"

"It looks like we'll have to, Sasuke-kun." Sakura said.

Sasuke sighed deeply. "This sucks."

"I'm going with you." Gaara said. "I need to make sure my sister is alright."

Sasuke nodded.

"I just need to go to my office and delegate someone to run the village for me in my absence."

Sasuke nodded again, and looked around. Kiba and Neji were standing together, smiling about something.

"I see what you mean, Sasu-kun." An angry voice whispered in his ear.

Naruto, fists clenched at his side, was glaring openly at the Inuzuka and Hyuga.

"Yeah… They aren't even hiding it anymore…"

Sasuke shot a look of pure venom at Kiba, and the Inuzuka looked puzzled and confused.

Sasuke walked forward with Gaara, and surprisingly, Hinata had stepped up to them and kept in pace.

"Kazekage-sama," Hinata said timidly.

"Please, Hinata-san, call me Gaara."

The white eyed girl nodded.

"We sh – should l – leave soon," Hinata said, "There are pe – people wat – watching us."

Gaara looked around surreptitiously. He quickened his pace slightly, and within minutes he was ready to leave.

Instead of walking along the desert terrain, the group decided that speed was necessary. They ran as fast as they could, for as long as they could.

Sasuke kept his eyes firmly locked on the ground ahead of him, his Sharingan helping him to notice any ditches and holes in the ground.

"The fuck is your problem?" Kiba said, coming up next to him.

Sasuke gritted his teeth.

:_Could it be that I was only imagining things?_:

"Kiba, I think you know what the problem is."

"No, I don't!" the Inuzuka replied, his face mottled with rage.

Seeing Kiba getting angry about this made Sasuke's blood boil.

"So what," Sasuke said sarcastically, "you and Neji are just really good friends? Or are you going to make up an excuse for sleeping with him?"

Kiba went pale.

"How did you - ?"

Sasuke gave a hollow, humorless laugh. "I didn't! But you just gave it away."

Kiba growled in the back of his throat. He grabbed Sasuke by the front of his shirt and forced him to stop, then slammed his lips against the Uchiha's.

For a second, Sasuke melted into the kiss, reveling in contact, but then he snapped himself out of it.

Hinata gasped. Sakura screamed. Kiba was on the floor.

"Stay away from me, Inuzuka." Sasuke spat out, looking down at Kiba.

"Sasuke what's gotten into you?"

It was Neji of all people who asked this.

"Hyuga, you had better back the fuck off before - "

Out of nowhere, Naruto popped into view and landed a hard kick to Neji Hyuga's stomach, knocking him across the ground.

"Lets go, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke took one last look at Kiba, who was watching Sasuke from the floor, then turned and left with Naruto.

"Do you think we were too hard on them?" Naruto asked as they sped away.

Sasuke grunted. "Maybe…"

The rest of the group had caught up to them now, staring at them with shock all over their faces.

Sasuke sighed. It was going to be a long trip.

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After a few uneventful days of traveling, they were back in the huge forest where they thought they saw Shino die.

There was a strange scent in the air as they walked through the woods, a metallic scent that smelled horribly like fresh blood.

"What do you think has happened here?" Sasuke asked Sakura.

The pink haired girl shook her head. "I don't know. But the smell is getting stronger, so what ever it is, it's up ahead."

Darkness came quickly to the forest that evening, and the group stopped for the night, trying their best to blot out the pungent stench that filled the air.

Sasuke sat above his comrades, up in a tree by himself. He watched them build the fire, saw them talking quietly. He didn't even realize that one member of the party was missing.

"May I sit?" Kiba voice said out of the darkness at Sasuke's side.

"You may," Sasuke replied shortly, "but then I'm leaving."

He heard Kiba sigh.

"Will you give me two minutes to talk to you?" He pleaded with the Uchiha.

Sasuke felt a tear sting his eye. Rather than risk letting Kiba hear the emotion in his voice, Sasuke simply jerked his head to indicate that Kiba should sit.

"I wanted to thank you." Kiba said softly. "for taking me on about what I did."

"Thank you for punching you to the ground?"

Kiba smiled. "Yes. I deserved it. I should never have hurt you like that. I really am sorry Sasuke. You deserve better than what I did to you, and Naruto deserves better than Neji. We were both idiots, and I just want to try to make things right now, try to fix them, because I really love you."

Sasuke didn't respond for a moment. He felt tears running down his cheeks.

He stood up and looked away from Kiba.

"Your two minutes are up." He said, and then jumped out of the trees and away from the camp, running until he was completely isolated.

There, alone in the woods, Sasuke cried.

:_I'm so stupid._: he thought. :_I should have known Kiba would betray me! What use is the Sharingan if you can't even see your heart being broken by someone you love?_:

"Sasuke?"

The "Uchiha spun around, coming face to face with Naruto. Torn between taking comfort in the Uzumaki's presence and telling him to leave, he stood there and stared at him. His will and resolution crumbled quickly, and soon he was crying into Naruto's shoulder.

Naruto comforted him, rocking him back and forth and whispering into his ear as Sasuke sobbed. After a few minutes, Sasuke's tears stopped, and he looked up at the blonde.

"Thank you, Naruto. Thank you for always being there for me."

He reached up and kissed Naruto gently, pushing the boy onto his back on the mossy ground. He kissed him again passionately, and the rest of the night was lost in a hazy blur of lust.

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"TEMARI!"

The group jolted out of their bedrolls at the sound of the scream.

"That was Gaara's voice." Neji said. Within moments, they were on their feet and they ran forwards, finding a clearing not too far from where they had slept.

In the center of that clearing, lying in a pool of blood, was Temari's mangled body.

"No…" Sakura whispered.

Gaara, his face deathly pale, ran forward to his sisters twisted corpse. As he knelt beside it, there was a puff of smoke and a loud bang.

When the smoke cleared, Gaara was suspended in mid-air by a net.

"Shit." Sasuke said. He heard a noise above them and spun around, kunai in each hand. When he saw what he was looking for, however, he started to laugh.

"You know," Temari said, playing with her fan, "When I set that trap, I didn't expect to catch my own brother in it…"

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A/N: Okay, there you go. Another chapter of mindless rambling. Scary fact, the whole SasukeXKibaXNejiXNaruto is based on a past relationship of mine. Take it from me, those things are not just found in the movies. It happens. :P

Japanese:  
_Daijoubu: Are you okay?_

_O-kage sama de: I'm fine thanks._

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. So please leave me a little review. The more reviews I get, the quicker I'll post the next chapter!!

REVIEW!!


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own… something

**Disclaimer: **I don't own… something. Oh yeah, I don't own Naruto!

**Warnings: **Do you really need me to tell you?

A/N: Okay, I see that I confused a whole lot of people in the last chapter. I hope I'll be able to clear things up for all of you.

**Chapter 10**

"Temari!?" Sakura yelled in fright.

The blond sand ninja grinned. She made a seal and the body of Temari on the ground vanished in a puff of smoke.

"I'm surprised you fell for such a simple trap, Gaara-kun." Temari said to her brother.

Gaara looked at her questioningly.

"Aburame Shino was coming for me, so I thought it was prudent to lay a trap and lay low."

"How did you find out that he was after you?" Sasuke asked.

Temari shrugged. "Shikamaru. He figured out that Shino was a traitor. And he had the idea that he might try to assassinate my family. I was heading to Suna to warn Gaara and Kankuro, but I heard movement in the forest, so I hid."

"Temari…" Gaara said in a choked voice. "Kankuro is dead."

Temari froze. "No…"

"Shino got to him, and then tried to murder me. If not for these Leaf Ninja, I would have died."

Sasuke looked at Temari. She was in shock, her face contorted with grief for her brother. He found that he had a great deal of pity for her.

"Temari-dono," Gaara said quietly, "I'm sorry."

She broke, falling to the ground crying.

Sasuke turned away, trying to give her at least the illusion of privacy. He looked at Kiba, who was standing with Neji. The Inuzuka was staring at Sasuke, regret in his eyes.

"I never want to talk to you again, Kiba." Sasuke whispered. "You destroyed our chance."

Kiba let out an involuntary growl. "I said I was sorry, Sasuke. What more do you want from me?"

"Nothing." Sasuke replied. "I want nothing from you. You and I are through."

A tear escaped from Kiba's eye. Neji, looking apprehensive, glanced at Naruto. The Uzumaki gave him a cold stare.

"The same goes for us, Hyuga." He said.

On the ground Temari looked up at her brother.

"I want revenge." She choked out.

"You shall have your revenge, Temari." Sakura said to the older girl. "We all will."

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The group was silent as they set out again, heading back to the village of Konoha. Sasuke stayed up in the trees, his Sharingan activated, along with Hinata, who was using her Byakugan. Together, they would be able to spot an attack long before it actually happened. The Hyuga girl was always the quiet type, so Sasuke figured that his thoughts would not be interrupted as they traveled by random conversation. His thoughts, of course, were on Kiba Inuzuka. Sasuke still loved him, and was bleeding on the inside from what had happened. In his anger, he had cut away from Kiba, wanting to distance himself from the source of his pain. But the effects were opposite. After telling Kiba that he wanted nothing more to do with him, Sasuke found that he wanted nothing more than to be near the Inuzuka, to try to resolve matters. He wondered idly whether Naruto was feeling the same about Neji or not. The Uzumaki was usually a lot more sensitive than the Uchiha was, so surely he was feeling this more.

When they stopped for a meal, Sasuke remained above in the trees, sitting with his back against the rough bark and contemplating his thoughts. Strangely, Hyuga Hinata had remained above too, watching Sasuke as if she wanted to talk to him. Sasuke wasn't sure if that was a good idea. Even though the main and branch houses of the Hyuga family hated one another, Neji was still her cousin, and she might have taken some offence to what had happened.

Hinata approached him, looking timid and pressing her forefingers together in her usual nervous way.

"S – Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke sighed. "Yes Hinata-chan?

"C – can I t – talk to you ab – bout K Kiba-kun?"

"Do we really have to do this, Hinata?"

"Hai."

Sasuke sighed again. What was the point of arguing?

"Alright."

"Sasu-kun, I kn – know you st – still love him. And I kn – know that it is painful, th – that he ch – cheated, but m – maybe you guys sh – should just t - talk about it."

"Hinata, it's not that simple. He hurt me badly, and it's not that easy to forget that kind of thing."

Hinata nodded sadly.

" I understand, S – Sasuke. But once y – you have had s – some time, you sh – should at least t – try."

Sasuke grunted. "I will, Hinata-dono. I just need time to think first. This is difficult for me."

:_If only it was truly that easy…_: Sasuke thought.

When they started moving again, the Uchiha was even more confused. He glanced at the road below him, looking at the top of Kiba's head. It seemed that he and Neji were arguing over something, and Sasuke had no trouble guessing what. He looked over at Hinata, who gave a shy smile and a nod, then dropped to the ground.

The Hyuga girl walked next to Sakura, probably giving a report, then launched herself up into the trees again, falling in next to Sasuke.

"Th – they are arguing about wh – what happened. K – Kiba-kun wants you b – back, and N – Neji wants Kiba."

Sasuke shook his head. "Poor Naruto."

Sasuke and Hinata both noticed movement ahead. In one swift movement, they both pulled out kunai and threw them down, landing in the road directly in front of the group. At that signal, everyone hid themselves, except for Gaara.

The Kazekage stood in the centre of the road, waiting for the approaching people while Sasuke and Hinata were hidden above him, ready to strike.

Four ninja approached Gaara, their forehead protectors showed that they were from the Hidden Mist.

Gaara watched them coolly, waiting for them to make a move.

They stopped in front of him, and bowed their heads.

"Kazekage"

Gaara nodded to them, and they continued past him. Sasuke motioned for Hinata to follow him, and followed the Mist nins, not trusting them.

Nearl a quarter of a mile behind the main group, the Mist ninja stopped. Sasuke and Hinata remained hidden amongst the thick branches overhead, listening to them.

"Do you think he suspects?" one of the ninja asked.

His companions chuckled.

"He's clueless. We could probably attack him now and report back to Aburame Shino and our employer."

Employer? Sasuke had thought that Shino was not acting alone, but nowit had been confirmed. Was it Orochimaru? Or Itachi? Or another member of the Akatsuki?

It was impossible to tell at this point. But it was certain that who ever it was, it was someone powerful.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Twenty minutes later, Sasuke and Hinata returned to the place where they had left the group, after disposing of the Mist Ninjas. Gaara was still in the middle of the road, looking bored, while the others where still hidden. Sasuke whistled, and the group came out from amongst the bushes. All except for Temari and Naruto.

:_Where did that baka go now?_: Sasuke thought. He looked questioningly at Hinata, who shrugged.

Before Sasuke had time to start looking, Temari and Naruto joined the others, Temari looking unconcerned, and Naruto looking completely confused.

:_That must have been an interesting conversation._: Sasuke mused, :_I should ask Naruto about I later._:

After another few miles, Sasuke and Hinata called a halt.

"W – We might as well c – camp here tonight." Hinata stuttered.

Sasuke nodded his agreement. "It's pointless to continue further today. It'll take us one more day to reach Konoha, then we can find out more about what's going on."

They started a fire and made a meal, dozing in the warmth that it radiated. The girls went to wash themselves with warm water shortly after the meal, so Sasuke sat himself next to Naruto and grinned at him.

"You looked a little confused when you came out of the bushes with Temari earlier…"

"Urusai." Naruto muttered, turning blood red.

"Should I start guessing what happened?" Sasuke asked the blonde.

"No." Naruto replied. "And I'm not going to tell you."

Sasuke shrugged. "Don't worry, Naru-kun, I wont tell anyone that you fucked Temari."

Naruto spluttered. "I did _not _sleep with Temari! She just wanted to ask me about Sakura."

What about her?"

"If I knew that -"

"Naruto, can I talk to you?"

It was Neji. The white eyed boy stood in front of the Uzumaki, looking at him questioningly.

Sasuke glanced at his friend then shrugged. "See you later, Naru."

He stole a glance at Kiba, who was sitting alone on the opposite side of the fire, then walked away into the forest, longing to be alone for a while.

Left to his thoughts, Sasuke wandered around aimlessly, contemplating the entire journey. Mostly, he thought about Kiba. Hinata had been right, he still loved Kiba. But after the harsh words that had been exchanged, could Kiba ever forgive him?

Sasuke sighed lightly, throwing a shuriken into a tree. It pegged into the bark, shining silver in the moonlight. As Sasuke went to retrieve it, he heard a muffled giggle and a small laugh.

:_Naruto and Neji, maybe._: He thought, :_I guess they made up._:

He made to turn away, but something held him in place. For some reason, he found that he wanted to see what was happening.

He moved forward stealthily, his feet making no noise. As he approached a clearing, he saw the silhouettes of two people making love. He moved a little closer in order to get a better look, and froze in shock.

Sakura and Temari…

The two girls were ravishing each others bodies in the moonlight, completely naked. They were oblivious to Sasuke watching from the shadows, and the Uchiha was still too stunned to move.

Only when Temari's head dipped out of sight did Sasuke regain the use of his legs. He sprang from the ground and into the trees above, then darted in the opposite direction from the female love fest.

:_Did I miss something?_:

He went back to the camp, and sought out Naruto. He definitely needed to talk to the blonde to help him forget what he had just seen, but Naruto was still talking quietly with Neji, a little apart from the rest of the group. Sasuke glanced around. Hinata was curled up on the ground, sleeping, Gaara was no where in sight, and Kiba sat alone by the fire. With a sigh, the Uchiha made his way to the Inuzuka.

"Hi, Kiba." Sasuke said quietly.

"Hi Sasuke." Kiba replied.

"Mind if I sit?"

Kiba shrugged. "If you want to."

Sasuke sat cross legged on the ground next to him and gazed into the fire.

"Sasuke, I'm really sorry about - " Kiba began, but Sasuke raised a hand to silence him.

"I don't want to talk about that right now. For now, let's just pretend that it never happened."

Kiba looked away and gave a small nod. "Alright."

Sasuke sighed deeply and turned to his former lover.

"Kiba, things are a little fucked up right now, but I think, well, if you want, maybe we can try again once we're both ready."

Kiba gave a soft smile. "I'd like that."

"I just need some time. Lets not rush into anything."

The Inuzuka nodded. Sasuke figured that this wasn't exactly what Kiba wanted to hear, but it was close enough. He couldn't expect the Uchiha to simply forget what had happened and accept him back with open arms.

Not long after, Temari and Sakura came back to the camp, looking flustered and disheveled. Sakura met Sasuke's eyes, and both of them blushed. With a gasp, Sakura stared at Sasuke.

The Uchiha grinned and mouthed the word "Sorry." to her. She blushed deeper and looked away.

"Am I missing something?" Kiba asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't worry, Kiba," Sasuke said with a smile. "You're not the only one missing something here.

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The next morning, the set out for Konoha. Sasuke stayed up in the trees with Hinata, but this time they were accompanied by Naruto as well. Sasuke hadn't had a chance to talk to him the previous night, and Naruto looked rather troubled. Sasuke guessed that things between him and Neji hadn't gone too well.

He sped up a little and caught up to the Uzumaki.

"Do you want to talk?" he asked.

Naruto looked uncomfortable.

"I don't see a point. There's nothing you can do for me right now."

Sasuke considered this. "Maybe not, but I can lend a sympathetic ear. Talk to me, Naru-kun."

Naruto grunted.

"Neji wants me back." He blurted, "But I don't think I want him."

Sasuke nodded. He could understand why.

"I only want you, Sasuke. And I'm going to try my best to get you."

With a burst of swiftness, Naruto darted ahead, leaving behind a very confused Sasuke.

Time passed slowly, and eventually they arrived at the gates of Konoha village. Tsunade, Kurenai, Gai, and Kakashi were awaiting them, looking concerned.

After brief greetings, Tsunade informed them that they were to head straight to her office.

Sasuke sighed. He would have to worry about Naruto later.

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A/N: There it is, another chapter. Hope it was enjoyable. More drama, romance and comedy is to come, so keep an eye open more a new chapter!

Gomenasai for any mistakes I have made thus far!

_Urusai: Shut up._


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Isn't it obvious by now that I don't own Naruto

**Disclaimer: **Isn't it obvious by now that I don't own Naruto?

**Warnings: **Yaoi, Yuri, language… that kind of stuff.

**Chapter 11**

The first thing that Sasuke noticed when they entered Tsunade's office was a large piece of parchment on the desk, showing the Aburame family tree, with Shino's name highlighted.

"What's this about, Hokage-sama?" Neji asked.

Tsunade pursed her lips.

"Konoha village is soon going to be at war with some of the allied countries. Shinobi from the Sound, Cloud, Mist and Snow countries are mobilizing their forces as we speak."

"W – War?" Hinata stammered. Tsunade nodded.

"Who is behind this though?" Gaara asked, "The allied nations would not attack unless they either had good reason to invade the Hidden Leaf, or they were united under another person."

"Not just one person, I'm afraid." Tsunade said with a grimace. "But I'll get to that in a minute. There are a great many things that need to be done in preparation for the coming battle."

The group nodded.

"I will send word to Suna," Gaara said, "You can count on the Sand Village for support, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade inclined her head in thanks. "You have my gratitude, Kazekage-sama."

The leader of the Leaf village turned to Sasuke.

"Uchiha Sasuke," she said grimly, "for complicated reasons, you will not be participating in the fight."

"Nani? Sasuke exclaimed.

"I will explain it to you in due course, Sasuke, so don't raise your voice at me."

Sasuke grumbled. For what reason was he going to be excluded from the fight?

"Furthermore, Sasuke, you will not be involved in this at all. Not even with helping the troops to prepare."

"This is bullshit!" Sasuke protested. Tsunade raised a hand in warning.

She turned to the others and addressed them. "We will be grateful for any help you can give us. Whether it is merely helping with preparations, or joining the fight. Now, if you would excuse us, I have matters to discuss with Sasuke in private."

Sasuke watched as his friends quietly left the room.

:_Why? What could be the reason for this? Unless… Orochimaru…"_

"I'm sorry about this, Sasuke, but it is necessary. Everyone of importance agrees that you should have no part of this."

"Just get on with it." Sasuke replied curtly.

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"_Sasuke, you have to understand. While we all value your skills as a Shinobi, we also value your life, and your sanity."_

"_What is that supposed to mean?" Sasuke asked. _

_Tsunade sighed. _

"_The group that has organized the attack on Konoha is the Akatsuki. Meaning that - "_

_Sasuke's face went blank. "Itachi…" he growled softly._

"_Exactly. We are not willing to risk you, having you in the same fight as your brother." _

"_And what about what I want? What if I want to fight him?"_

_Tsunade shook her head. "No, Sasuke. We can't let you. If need be, I will station Anbu around you to keep you unconscious until the end of it. That's how serious I am."_

"_Itachi isn't the only one, is he?" Sasuke asked._

"_Unfortunately not. Deidara, Itachi, Kisame, Sasori… Missing nins from all over the world. As well as Shino Aburame."_

"_I - " Sasuke started to say, but he was cut short._

"_That is my final word, Uchiha. Go home."_

It had been a week since that conversation, and Sasuke's blood was still boiling. Just because Itachi, the murderer of the Uchiha clan, would be involved, Sasuke couldn't help his friends or his village.

Alone in his apartment, he considered going to the old Uchiha compound, but dismissed that idea as looking for trouble. All that would accomplish was to stir even more hatred for his brother. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Sasuke went to the kitchen and made himself a simple, light meal of rice balls and noodles. In a way it was good to be home, having the comforts of a bed, a bath, and a kitchen. But on the other hand, he felt completely useless. The prospect of immanent war drove al thoughts of relaxation out of his mind, causing him to wander around his apartment aimlessly. Naruto had come to see him the day before, but Sasuke had been in a foul temperament, so the Uzumaki didn't stay long. Now, however, he found himself wishing that the blonde was there. He needed someone to talk to, someone who knew what was going on. Also, he was desperately horny.

As if answering his prayers, there was a knock on the door. He scrambled over and nearly ripped the door off of it's hinges. His look of excitement became a cold, unfriendly stare as he looked into the white eyes of Neji Hyuga.

"Can I help you?" Sasuke said coldly.

Neji returned the icy gaze. "I want to talk to you about Kiba-san."

With a grunt, Sasuke moved aside, allowing the Hyuga to enter his apartment. They seated themselves on cushions on the floor and stared at each other silently for a minute. Sasuke didn't know what Neji was thinking about, but the Uchiha was thinking about all the various ways he would like to kill the Hyuga.

"Sasuke, I know that you are angry with me, and I don't blame you, but you have to understand, I love Kiba."

"And the fact that I also love Kiba means nothing? Or the fact that, technically speaking, he is still my boyfriend?"

Neji gave him an irritated look. "Aren't you the one who said you want nothing more to do with Kiba?"

"And aren't you the one that told Naruto you want him back?" Sasuke countered. "And what about Naruto's feelings? You tell him one thing, now you want to fight over Kiba instead? I thought you were decent, Hyuga."

Neji looked like he had been slapped in the face.

"Sasuke," he said, looking like he was trying his best to stay calm, "I know that what Kiba and I did was wrong, but I really love him. Naruto… I don't know what I feel for him."

Sasuke sat quietly for a moment. "You and I love Kiba, Kiba and Naruto love me, Naruto loves you… This is fucked up beyond belief."

Neji nodded. "At least no one has proposed a threesome with Gaara yet."

Sasuke burst out laughing. "Now that would be weird."

With a grin, Neji said, "We'd be pulling sand out of our - "

Before he could finish that disturbing sentence, there was another knock at the door. Answering it, he groaned. This was not going to be good.

"Hi Sasuke," Kiba said uncertainly, "can I come in?"

"Of – of course Kiba." Sasuke said with a smile. As the Inuzuka passed him, the Uchiha whispered in his ear.

"Be warned, Neji is here, trying to convince me that you should be with him."

Kiba's eyes went flat and his hands curled into fists.

They walked back to the lounge area, where Neji was. The Hyuga's eyes widened when he saw Kiba.

"Hello, Kiba. How're you?"

"I'm fine, thank you." Kiba said stiffly.

"I need a drink." Sasuke muttered. He went to a cabinet, grabbed a bottle of sake and three glasses, and poured the alcohol out.

Downing his first bit, he looked nervously at his guests.

"So…" he said uncomfortably.

Kiba smiled at Sasuke. "I have that information you wanted. Sasu-kun." He handed Sasuke several sheets of paper.

"Kiba!" Neji said with a shocked look, "Hokage-sama insisted that Sasuke not be involved in the battle!"

"Tsunade can go fuck herself." Kiba said gruffly. "I won't keep Sasuke in the dark, especially when his brother is concerned."

"But - "

"But nothing, Neji. Sasuke has a right to know. And anyway, if he at least knows what is happening, he won't mind so much. But if we force him out, he's bound to try something drastic, like jumping into the fight once it's here."

"Guys," Sasuke said, raising a hand, "I'm still in the room you know."

Kiba giggled. "Sorry Sasu."

With a grunt, Neji stood up. "I need to use the bathroom."

As he left the room, Kiba took Sasuke's hand and held it. "I don't want him, Sasuke-kun, I want you."

Sasuke nodded. "I know. I won't give up yet, Kiba."

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An hour later, Neji and Kiba had left and Sasuke was already bored out of his mind. Ruffling through the papers Kiba had given him, he saw the names of the people most likely to be behind the trouble. Itachi had been confirmed, as was Deidara. The others had not been spotted as of yet, but it was assumed that they had a part in it.

"This fucking sucks…" Sasuke mumbled. He went into the bathroom and turned the taps on, allowing the room to fill with steam. As he stripped his clothing, he thought about Naruto. The blonde's declaration that he would snare Sasuke had had faint overtones of 'no matter what' to it. Sasuke shuddered to think what Naruto might do to accomplish his goals. He slipped into the hot bath water and let out a moan of satisfaction, the water seemed to sap away his lethargy and put fresh energy into him. For a few minutes, he laid there with his eyes closed, lost in the moment. He blocked his nose and allowed his head to slip under the surface, the water running through his black hair. When he surfaced, he didn't bother to open his eyes again. He felt like falling asleep.

"Nice view."

Sasuke covered his private parts out of reflex, turning to see who had invaded his privacy.

"How typical." He murmured when he saw Naruto standing in the doorway.

"Is that any way to greet your beloved team mate?" Naruto asked in a husky voice.

"It is when said team mate bursts into the room unannounced." Sasuke retorted, reaching for the soap.

Naruto let that comment slide. "Need any help, Sasuke?"

The Uchiha was tempted to let the blonde bath him, since he knew what would follow, but he quickly came to his senses. He didn't want to give Naruto false hope, nor did he want to damage his chances with Kiba.

"I can bath myself, thank you."

A momentary look of indignation crossed Naruto's face.

"You're thinking about what Kiba would say?"

"What if I am?"

Naruto snorted and turned his back on the raven haired boy. "I don't see why you would choose to bed a filthy dog."

Quick as a flash, the soap dish flew through the air and hit Naruto on the back of the head.

"Don't ever insult Kiba." Sasuke growled venomously.

"Or what, Uchiha? Going to throw the soap next?"

Sasuke glared at the Uzumaki. Before he could stop himself, he said something he would eventually come to regret.

"Next time it will be a kunai, and the world will be better for it once you're gone."

A heavy silence fell. All that could be heard was the steady, measured beat of the dripping tap. Sasuke stared at Naruto. Naruto stared at Sasuke. For a moment, Sasuke thought they were going to fight, but an instant later he was alone again, with only the sound of a slamming door to keep him company.

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There were moments when Sasuke knew he had done the wrong thing, and this was one of them. He should never have threatened Naruto, and now he would have to pay the price. He walked the streets of Konoha, his thoughts in turmoil. He had gone to Naruto's apartment, intending to apologize, but the Uzumaki hadn't been there. Then he had gone to Sakura, but she had no idea where Naruto had gotten to.

"I saw him earlier." She had said, "He looked really pissed off. I wouldn't cross him just now, Sasuke, he looked ready to kill."

Sasuke considered going to Neji for help, but dismissed that idea. The Hyuga progeny would not be inclined to help him in any way.

He looked ready to kill…

Sasuke felt as though his blood had turned to ice, and his heart seemed to have frozen in mid beat. He began to run towards the Inuzuka compound, praying that he wasn't too late, hoping that both boys were still alive.

He burst through the doors, running as fat as his legs could carry him.

"What's going on here?"

Sasuke turned and found himself facing Kiba's sister.

"Where is Kiba?" He asked desperately, "I have to find him!"

She looked taken aback for a second.

"He isn't here." She replied. "He left half an hour ago, with that blonde kid, Uzumaki Naruto."

Sasuke's heart dropped.

"Do you know where they went?"

She considered the question. "I think they said something about the Shinobi Academy, though I don't see why, since it's closed – hey! Where are you going?"

But Sasuke was already sprinting out, his mind set one saving Kiba from what ever scheme Naruto had thought up.

"I'm coming, Kiba. Just hold on."

After a few minutes, he reached the academy. Two people could be seen talking in the distance, one blonde and the other brunette. Sasuke let out a sigh of relief.

:_He's still alive. Thank God._:

Watching them, he began to move forward at a slow pace.

Then he saw the brunette drop to the ground and lay completely still, not a muscle moving.

"Kiba!" Sasuke shouted. His mind froze and his heart became lead.

:_Don't let him die… Please…_:

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A/N: Yeah yeah, I know. I'm mean for stopping there :P

So… Will Kiba survive this? Who knows…

Love does strange things to people. It's hard to tell when somebody slips into the dark relm of madness to get the one they love. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. Keep your eyes peeled for the next installment.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: For crying out loud, I don't fing own Naruto

**Disclaimer: **For crying out loud, I don't fing own Naruto.

**Warnings: **Yaoi, Language, and character death.

**A/N: **Sorry for the wait, here's the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy it!

**Chapter 12**

Sasuke dashed forward as fast as he could, his mind completely blank and uncomprehending. The only thing he could see, the only thing that mattered, was Kiba. Naruto stood over the fallen boy, a look of unconcern on his face. As Sasuke neared the Inuzuka, however, Kiba stood up again. Naruto snorted and turned his back, walking away as Sasuke got to his lover.

"Kiba," Sasuke panted, "Are you okay?"

Kiba stretched, "I'm fine, Sasu. Naruto and I were just having an argument, and I had a cramp, and it got the better of me."

Sasuke let out his breath explosively.

"Fuck it, I thought he attacked you!"

Kiba looked confused.

"Sasuke, I know Naruto loves you, but he wouldn't go that far. You know that. He values life. He may not always be good company, but he's a good person."

Sasuke grunted, feeling more stupid by the minute.

"I guess I should have realized that…"

Kiba wrapped an arm around the Uchiha's waist.

"I'm not going anywhere, Sasuke. Don't worry."

"I can't help that I love you so much, Kiba-kun." Sasuke replied, resting his head against Kiba's chest.

The stood together, lost in the moment. Sasuke sighed in happiness.

Then, with a sound that chilled him to the bone, a warning siren went off in the village, announcing a battle that no member of the Leaf would ever forget.

"We're at war." Kiba said. "Sasuke, you'd better go home. You mustn't get involved."

"No way Kiba," Sasuke said fiercely, "I'm staying at your side, no matter what."

Kiba kissed the Uchiha deeply.

"Please, Sasu-kun. Don't fight. Go home and stay safe."

"But - "

"No buts, Sasuke. Please! Better yet, go to my house. Itachi wouldn't think to look for you there, and my parents will take good care of you."

"Do they know about us?" Sasuke asked.

Kiba nodded. "Now please, go…"

As Kiba sprinted out of the Academy grounds, Sasuke longed to fight at his side, but his lover had convinced him to remain apart from the battle, something which even the Hokage could not convince him to do.

"For you, Kiba." Sasuke whispered to himself.

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In the Inuzuka compound, Sasuke paced back and forth, the eyes of the clans older members focused on him.

:_I can't take not knowing what's happening out there_: He thought as he heard an explosion in the distance.

"I know how you must be feeling," Kiba's mother said. "But Kiba will be fine. He's tough."

Sasuke nodded. "I know he's tough, but…"

"But you wish you knew he was perfectly safe."

Again, the Uchiha nodded.

"As a ninja, you must understand that neither you nor Kiba will ever truly be safe. The best you can do is protect each other in any way."

Sasuke sighed. Kiba's mother was right. Neither of them would be safe, and they needed to stick together.

"Go to him." Kiba's father said.

"I can't," Sasuke replied. "Kiba begged me to not involve myself in the battle, because Hokage-sama doesn't want me to take part, as my brother is amongst the enemy."

The Inuzuka patriarch nodded. "I can understand Kiba's concern, but it is irrelevant. He cannot ask you to sit back while he fights. Go to him, and explain that you can't let him fight alone. I'm sure he will understand."

Sasuke grinned lightly and made his way towards the door.

"Take good care of our son." Kiba's mother called to him.

Out in the fresh air, Sasuke saw that part of the village was on fire. He moved towards that area, where the sound of battle and screaming filled the air. He thought for a moment about what he would do if he happened to come across his brother, but dismissed that thought immediately. He would cross that bridge when he came to it.

As he moved along the street, a slight movement caught his eyes. Pretending that he had seen nothing, he continued to walk.

From out of the shadows, a blade soared through the air, but Sasuke dodged t with ease.

"You'll have to do better than that." The Uchiha called, activating his Sharingan while he spoke.

A chuckle followed his words. A figure stepped into the light, carrying a humongous sword over his shoulder.

"Kisame." Sasuke hissed. He had been hoping to fight a subordinate, not one of the main members of the Akatsuki.

The shark-man's blue skin glowed eerily in the street light.

"Come, Sasuke. Meet your death."

The sword slashed through the air, aiming for Sasuke's head, but the Uchiha dodged the blade, his hands flickering as he made handseals.

"Katon; Housenka no jutsu!"

Sasuke knew that the Mist nin would easily evade the flames, but it didn't matter.

"Those basic jutsus won't work on me, boy!" Kisame said with a laugh, glaring at Sasuke, who smiled.

With a puff of smoke, the Shadow Clone vanished and the real Sasuke came up behind Kisame, ramming a hand into his enemies back.

Sasuke grinned as blood dripped from the wound, the Chidori still making its chirping sound even while inside of Kisame.

"You underestimate me, baka."

Kisame let out a groan as he sank to the floor, then laid still.

:_That was too easy. Kisame was an expert ninja, how did I manage that so effortlessly?_:

There was no doubt that the Kisame at Sasuke's feet was real. But Sasuke couldn't understand how the ninja had let his guard down so fatally.

Realizing how vulnerable he was, Sasuke darted into the shadows and moved stealthily forward. He hoped that he would find Kiba before one of the major Akatsuki did.

:_I certainly do spend a lot of time worrying about him…_:

Up ahead, there was a fight in full swing.

Hinata was fighting against Sasori, the puppet master. She seemed to be holding her own rather well, so Sasuke passed by discreetly.

He made his way up street after street, but saw no sign of Kiba anywhere.

"Sasuke!"

Turning, the Uchiha saw Gaara. As always, the Kazekage didn't have so much as a scratch on him, thanks to the sand shields defenses that protected him from harm.

"You shouldn't be out here." Gaara hissed.

Sasuke chose to ignore him. "Have you seen Kiba anywhere?"

The Kazekage shook his head. "Not since when the fight first started. He was on the main street with Sakura, Shikamaru and Temari, but I was under attack, and I lost track of them."

Sasuke sighed deeply.

"I have to find him." He muttered.

"I'll help if you like." Gaara offered, but before Sasuke could reply, someone stepped out into the road in front of him.

Cold, emotionless red eyes stared at him, the Mangekyou Sharingan bringing back a flood of memories of his dead clan.

"Itachi…" Sasuke said from between clenched teeth.

"It's been a while, Sasuke." Itachi said, amusement dripping from his tone like venom.

"It end here, Itachi. You're mine."

Itachi laughed softly. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, brother, but I have pressing business elsewhere. But don't fret; I'll leave you to the tender care of two of my comrades…"

Behind Itachi, two figures stepped forward into the light.

"What the hell!" Sasuke exclaimed, staring at Lee and Tenten.

"Hello, Sasuke." Lee said with a grin.

"You two… What's going on here?" Sasuke asked in bewilderment.

"Oh come now, Sasuke," Tenten said, "Betrayal and deceit are second nature to a Shinobi. Surely this isn't that much of a shock to you."

Itachi laughed. "I'll leave you guys to catch up. Enjoy your last moments, brother."

Itachi vanished, leaving Gaara and Sasuke facing Lee and Tenten.

"You traitors…" Gaara said. "Why did you betray the Leaf and join those criminals?"

Lee raised a hand. "Let's skip the reasons. All you need to know is that we've joined them, and now we're going to kill you two."

Gaara took a step backwards, the sand from his gourd coming to gather at his feet.

"Go find Kiba, Sasuke." The Kazekage said. "I'll handle these two."

Sasuke was tempted to leave on that note, but concern held him back.

"Gaara, Lee can get through your defense, are you sure you don't want my help?"

Gaara nodded. "I can handle it."

Against his better judgment, Sasuke turned and ran up the street, with the sound of flowing sand to accompany him in the distance behind him.

"Kiba, where are you…?"

Everywhere he went, there were ninja fighting, but Kiba was no where to be seen. Sasuke was becoming frantic, searching high and low for his lover.

He was loosing hope when, from nowhere, a body collided with his, knocking him to the floor. He felt a kunai pressed against his throat.

"Sasuke!"

The kunai was removed, and Sasuke looked into Kiba's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Kiba. I couldn't sit around while you were in danger."

Kiba sighed. "I should have known you would do something like this."

"There's more. Lee and Tenten showed up. They've joined the Akatsuki, and Gaara is busy fighting them."

"Shit. That explained why the Akatsuki knew so much about us."

"We need to get moving." Sasuke told his boyfriend.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As the night wore on, Sasuke and Kiba fought along side each other in a variety of minor skirmishes. No one of importance came forward to fight them, and for that Sasuke was grateful.

His mind was fogged with exhaustion, filled with concern for Kiba and a stabbing pang of regret over the last words he had spoken to Naruto. He regretted what he had said to the Uzumaki, and he was determined to set things right again as soon as he could. Kiba's pet, Akamaru, bounded along next to them, growling low every time he sensed or smelled the approach of a new opponent.

"I'm so tired." Kiba said.

Sasuke put an arm around his shoulders.

"We need to find Hokage-sama, and find out what's going on." The Uchiha said.

Kiba nodded. They began to search for Tsunade, with Sasuke's Sharingan and Kiba's excellent sense of smell keeping track of the enemy's whereabouts. For nearly an hour, the searched in vain, but eventually they found her, fighting against Deidara.

It was remarkable to watch her fight. Deidara didn't stand a chance against her, and it wasn't long before Deidara was lying in a heap on the floor.

Sasuke and his boyfriend rushed forward to the Hokage.

"Tsunade-sama," Kiba said. "What's going on? Are we getting anywhere?"

Tsunade nodded. "The enemy numbers are thinning, but they seem determined to fight til the death. We need…"

Her eyes fell on Sasuke.

"Uchiha! What are you doing here? I told you not to get involved!"

"Hokage-sama," Sasuke said respectfully, "We don't have time for this. I wasn't going to let my boyfriend fight alone while I was hiding away. Let's just deal with the fighting first, and you can reprimand me later."

Tsunade looked taken aback. "Your boyfriend? I didn't know that you two were together."

Kiba smiled. "It sort of happened during our trip to Suna."

Tsunade chuckled. "Well, Sasuke is right. Let's deal with our current situation before we discuss anything else."

She turned to Sasuke.

"Most of the Akatsuki have fallen. Gaara dealt with the traitors, Lee and Tenten. They are both dead."

Sasuke nodded, but he felt empty inside. It was difficult to hear of the deaths of his former comrades.

"Likewise, I have dealt with Deidara, and Temari and Hinata took out Sasori. There are very few of the Akatsuki left."

Sasuke grinned. "I killed Kisame as well. So the only real problem, I'd say, is Itachi."

Tsunade looked worried. "Sasuke, you can't…"

But Sasuke shook his head. "I think that you, Kiba, some ANBU, and myself should surround Itachi and attack him together. On our own, none of us would stand much of a chance."

Tsunade nodded. "I'll gather the troops then. Scout the area and find your brother."

Sasuke and Kiba nodded. Within moments, they were traveling over the rooftops, looking for the traitor of the Uchiha clan.

"I love you, Sasuke." Kiba said while they searched.

"I love you too, Kiba. You're the best thing that ever happened to me." Sasuke said with a smile. "As soon as this is over, we need to sort ourselves out once and for all."

Kiba nodded. "Wait!" The Inuzuka said suddenly. "Ahead over there, isn't that Itachi"

Sasuke peered ahead. On the street, a few hundred yards ahead, Itachi was fighting…

"Oh my God," Sasuke whispered, "He's fighting Naruto!"

They sped forwards, as quickly as they could. Itachi, however, was not one to be trifled with. He saw their approach and flung Naruto aside.

"Come, brother!" Itachi yelled. "Come and meet the end!"

Sasuke took out a kunai, aimed it as carefully as he could, and threw it at his older brother with all the force he could muster.

Itachi laughed. As the knife neared him, his hands blurred into seals and there was a puff of smoke, which the kunai plunged into.

When the smoke cleared, Sasuke found himself looking into Naruto's deep blue eyes. Naruto's face was full of shock. He looked helplessly at his friend, then down at his bloodstained hands, which were clutching the kunai's handle.

"Sasu…" Naruto whispered, almost inaudibly.

"No! Naruto!"

Sasuke rushed to his friends side and caught him as he began to fall.

"I'm so sorry, Naruto" Sasuke said between anguished sobs. "I didn't mean what I said. I don't want you to die."

Naruto smiled at him, then looked at Kiba.

"Hold onto him, Kiba," Naruto said quietly, "He's a good guy. Cherish him forever."

"No, Naruto, don't die!" Sasuke cried.

Naruto smiled at the Uchiha.

"Goodbye, Sasuke. I'll see you in the next world."

"No! Naruto! Stay with me!"

But Naruto's hands dropped to his sides and hung limp. His eyes closed, and there was the ghost of his final smile still on his lips as he died.

"Naruto!" Sasuke screamed, tears flowing freely as he stared at the Uzumaki, holding his body against his own.

"NARUTO!"

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A/N: Okay, I know you all hate me now… But you have to admit, I did that piece well. It was important for the storyline, you'll all understand soon.

So, if you would please, I'd love a review! And try to hold back on flaming me…


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Me no own Naruto

**Disclaimer: **Me no own Naruto. Get over it.

**Warnings: **Yaoi and Language

**Chapter 13**

_Sasuke clutched Naruto's body to him, crying into the night. He felt Kiba's arm around his shoulder, but it did little to lessen his pain. He felt as though time had stopped, as if those moments at Naruto's side contained an eternity. _

"_Naruto…" Sasuke whispered, "I'm sorry."_

"_Sasuke…" Kiba breathed into the Uchiha's ear, but he wasn't listening. The pain was too much to bear, it felt like his heart had been torn open._

_He held Naruto for a second longer, then gently lowered his friends body to the ground. With an insane scream, he launched himself to his feet and ran down the street, thinking only of avenging Naruto, of killing Itachi. It no longer mattered that he wouldn't be able to defeat his bother. If he died in battle, then at least he had tried… It would have been worth it…_

It had been a week since that awful night. Sasuke hadn't found Itachi, as he had fled from Konoha, leaving a bloody trail in his wake.

Sasuke's eyes burned with tears as he sat in the sunlight, staring at Naruto's coffin. He barely heard what the man officiating the funeral was saying, as he was too consumed with grief and guilt.

:_It's my fault he died…_:

No one was able to comfort him. He had rebutted ever attempt, and now it seemed that even Kiba was avoiding him Sasuke didn't care. People had to realize that it was hard for him to loose his best friend.

As he watched the coffin descend into the cold earth, his tears came thick and fast.

"Goodbye, Naruto." He whispered, and as he said it, he knew that things would never be the same again.

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Life seemed to return to its normal flow soon after. Although many people were still grieving, they moved on and let the sadness be numbed by their daily business. Sasuke and Sakura sat alone under a cherry tree, waiting for Kakashi to show up and let them know what would happen to their team now that they had lost a member.

"He's late, as usual." Sakura stated. "You'd think he would take his responsibilities as a Jounin seriously…"

Sasuke merely grunted. He didn't like to think that today they would meet the person meant to replace Naruto.

In the distance, several people were approaching their location. Sasuke squinted in the bright light in order to make them out.

Hinata, Neji, Temari, Kiba, Shikamaru, and their senseis were walking toward them, along with Kakashi.

"Nani?" Sakura said, sounding confused.

Kakashi raised a hand in greeting.

"Hello Sakura, Sasuke."

"What's going on?" Sasuke asked the Jounin.

Kakashi looked at him gravely. "We thought we should get everyone together and just spend a day together. To comfort each other."

"Hn." Sasuke grunted. "I don't need that."

He looked up at Kiba, who was looking upset. Sasuke hadn't realized it, but by cutting himself off from everyone in an effort to ease his pain, he had hurt Kiba badly. A little of Kiba's own pain was showing in his eyes.

"Kiba," Sasuke said, "Will you walk with me?"

Kiba looked startled, but nodded. He helped Sasuke to his feet and gave him an unsure smile.

:_I didn't notice that I was hurting him so much. I guess I was too consumed in my own grief to see that he was hurting too._:

As they walked through the gardens, Sasuke took hold of Kiba's hand.

"I'm sorry Kiba. I didn't mean to push you away."

Kiba sighed deeply.

"I know, Sasuke. It's not your fault."

"How can I make it up to you?"

Kiba's face took on a thoughtful expression.

"I think I know a way…" He said deviously, his eyes sparkling with mystery.

Sasuke suddenly felt a twinge of apprehension.

The afternoon was a quiet one, with barely any conversation, but Sasuke kept in constant contact with Kiba, holding his hand and kissing him.

They walked for hours, eventually coming to Konoha's main gates. Beyond stood the forest.

"Want to go there?" Kiba asked.

"Sure, it sounds like a good idea."

Hand in hand, they walked into the forest in silence, each enjoying the moment of peace.

"You know, Kiba," Sasuke said, "I'm glad we never gave up. I don't want to loose you."

Kiba smiled, and a faint blush tinged his cheeks. "Me too, Sasuke-kun. Me too."

They both sighed in content and continued to walk, not noticing that there was someone ahead of them on the path.

"Hello boys."

Sasuke's head snapped up to look at the newcomer, his hand automatically reaching for a kunai.

"Hello Tsunade-sama." Kiba said, inclining his head.

"What are you boys doing out here?" She asked lightly.

Sasuke shrugged. "Just walking."

Tsunade took a step towards Sasuke.

"Sasuke-dono, there is something you need to know."

Kiba raised his eyebrows. "Should I leave?"

Tsunade shook her head. "No, Kiba, you are very much involved in Sasuke's life, and I'm sure he'd want you to hear this too."

The Hokage took a deep, steadying breath.

"Sasuke, when Itachi fled the village after Naruto's death, he vowed that he would return soon, and that he would crush the Leaf, and when he does that, he will kill you and everyone you hold dear."

Sasuke grunted. He knew that he should feel more shock than what he did, but a part of him knew that it would eventually come down to this. And that part was eagerly awaiting Itachi's return.

"Good." Sasuke said.

Tsunade looked confused.

"Sasuke, what are you saying?" Kiba asked with a shocked look. "How is that good?"

Sasuke smiled grimly. " It's good, Kiba, because a when Itachi comes back, it'll finally be over. When he comes back, I'll kill him.

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A week passed, and with it the weather began to change. A permanent storm cloud seemed to attach itself to the skies above Konoha, plunging the village into a state of gloom. Rain lashed at the windows of Sasuke's apartment, making everything seem stark and uninviting. Sasuke sat in the centre of the room on a small, white mat, staring blankly at the rain. He wanted so much to spend the day outside, but the weather would not permit it.

There was a knock on his door, so with lethargic movements, he made his way to the door. Opening it, he saw Kiba and Akamaru, both soaked to the bone.

"Holy shit, Kiba, come in." Sasuke said, ushering his boyfriend and his pet into the room.

"I'll light a fire so you guys can defrost yourselves."

The Uchiha went over to the fireplace and put logs into it. He didn't bother with matches; instead, he just used his Housenka no Jutsu to set the wood to burning.

"Thank you, love." Kiba said from between chattering teeth as he and Akamaru edged closer to the warmth.

"Now tell me," Sasuke said with an amused grin, "why did you come all this way in the rain?"

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Am I not allowed to visit my boyfriend or something?"

"Not when you're risking getting sick." Sasuke countered.

Kiba shook his head. "You're impossible sometimes."

Sasuke grinned.

"Do you want some coffee?" The Uchiha asked his lover.

Kiba nodded. Sasuke walked into the kitchen and put the kettle on. While making the coffee, he thought about Kiba's sudden appearance. While he was genuinely pleased to see the Inuzuka, things didn't feel quite right. Kiba's smile seemed forced, his demeanor robotic, practiced. When he returned t the lounge area, he found the Inuzuka staring intently into the fire with an unseeing gaze, as though in a trance.

"Kiba?" Sasuke said tentatively, looking closely at his boyfriend, but there was no response.

"Kiba?" Sasuke said again, a little louder. This seemed to rouse him.

"Yes, Sasuke?" Kiba asked, looking dazed.

"Is everything alright? You seem… different."

Kiba shrugged, looking uncomfortable.

"I have a lot on my mind right now." He said vaguely.

Sasuke looked at him with an annoyed expression. "I can see that. Care to talk to me about it"

Kiba sighed, but didn't answer. He simply sat there, staring into the flames, lost in his own world. They sat there together, not speaking a word, each absorbed in themselves.

After what felt like hours, Kiba began to talk.

"Sasuke," he said, not looking at the Uchiha, "why is revenge so important to you?"

A memory flashed through Sasuke's mind, a memory from when Team 7 was still young.

"_Sasuke, why is revenge so important to you? Why do you obsess over it?"_

"_Naruto, you have no idea what you are talking about." Sasuke replied._

"_Then tell me more." The blonde insisted, looking stubborn._

_Sasuke rolled his eyes. After taking a deep breath, he began to explain the tragedy that had befallen the Uchiha clan…_

Sasuke focused on the present day. He took a few moments before he answered.

"I used to think," he said carefully, "that my obsession was valid, that as one of the only remaining Uchiha I had to avenge my clan, and kill Itachi. But lately, it's different. The history of the clan is becoming less important to me."

"Then why, Sasuke, do you chase after Itachi like this? I mean, I know he killed your clan, but you just said it's not important to you anymore. And I know he was responsible for Naruto's death, but you can't risk everything you are just to get revenge."

Sasuke stood up very quickly, looking furious.

"You don't understand." The Uchiha said menacingly. "What Itachi has done to me, the pain he has caused me, it is beyond forgiveness. I will only find happiness once he is dead."

Kiba stood up too. "So you're willing to sacrifice everything you care for, just for some petty act of vengeance?"

Sasuke's features became dark, terrifying. "Petty?" He whispered. "Until the day that Itachi dies, I will be in danger. Everyone I love will be in danger. I will be forced to watch as he kills everyone I love, on by one, until I'm driven mad. If that is petty vengeance, then yes, Kiba, I will sacrifice everything for it."

Kiba fell silent again, as did Sasuke. The Uchiha paced the apartment, his temper echoing the ferocity of the storm outside.

"Sasuke," Kiba whispered, "I'm sorry. I didn't understand."

Sasuke said nothing. He was too enraged to speak.

"I don't want to loose you, Sasuke, and at this rate, we'll be driven apart…"

Again, Sasuke stayed silent.

"I can't loose you again. I love you."

Sasuke sighed, letting the anger drain out of him.

I love you too, Kiba. But killing Itachi is one of the few purposes I have in this world. It must be done."

Kiba nodded.

Sasuke walked over to him and wrapped an arm around him kissing him gently. Kiba's mouth opened in response, his hands roaming Sasuke's back under his shirt. Sasuke deepened the kiss, sliding one of his hands down Kiba's pants, grasping him.

"Let's go to the bedroom." Sasuke said seductively.

Together, they made their way to the bedroom, a trail of clothing in their wake, and spent the night lost in each other.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: Yea yeah, I cut out the porno. You perverts out there will get over it :P

Next chapter is gonna be an important one. Things start to fall apart, hearts are broken, and Itachi returns to Konoha.

There will be drama, suspense, broken trust… And another death…

So please review, and I'll update soon .


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto, its characters, or it's storyline.

**Warnings: **Yaoi (boXboy) and language. If you don't like, stop reading this…

**A/N: **And so, after a VERY long hiatus (I haven't updated since august 2008… ouch…) I'm finally back to continue with Mysterious Love. This fanfic became very dear to me, and it saddens me to know that it has been so long since I had the pleasure of writing it. I won't bore you with excuses or details, but it sums it up to say that after moving 4 times, having no computer, and no access at all to the internet, it was a bit difficult to continue with me writing. To those people that have reviewed ML in the past, I hope that you will forgive me and still enjoy this pile of tripe that I love so much.

Gomen nasai minna-san.

Here's the long awaited chapter 14. I hope that it's good enough for all my wonderful readers.

_**Chapter 14**_

Sasuke awoke the next morning feeling dazed at disorientated. He glanced over at Kiba, who was snoring lightly with his face nuzzled into the crook of the Uchiha's neck. Wondering what it was that had woken him, he allowed his superior senses to sweep through the house for any noise, movement, or chakra signature. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, he relaxed, thinking about the day ahead of him.

All of the Shinobi that had fought against the Akatsuki had volunteered to help repair the damages caused by the battle and help those that had been injured. Also, they had to be prepared for another wave of invasion.

Deidara, Sasori, Tenten, Lee, and Kisame were all dead, but there were still many adversaries that they needed to worry about. Itachi, for one, as well as the bug infested traitor, Shino. Then there were more Akatsuki members; Pein, Konan, Tobi, Zetsu, Hidan, Kukuzu… Too many. Not to mention that their would be ninja from the other countries taking advantage of Konoha's current state of affairs. All that Sasuke knew was that the next time that Itachi set foot in the Hidden Leaf, he would die, and it would be Sasuke that kills him.

Looking around the room, Sasuke sighed in content. Although the future was stormy and uncertain, right now, in the present, things weren't so bad. Kiba was nestled against him, and Akamaru was curled at the foot of the bed on the rug. The sunshine was warm and pleasant.

Sasuke gently shook his boyfriend awake.

"Hey, Kiba, time to wake up."

Kiba grunted and stuck his head under a pillow, making Sasuke grin. He lifted the bed sheets slightly and reached down between them until he found Kiba's limp member. He ran his fingers over it, caressing it gently, but it did nothing more than make Kiba shift his weight slightly. Sasuke wrapped his hand around Kiba's cock and began to jerk him off, feeling the Inuzuka's manhood grow exceptionally larger under his work. Sasuke continued to move his hand up and down his lovers shaft, waiting for him to wake, but it seemed that Kiba was still fast asleep, obviously dreaming. He moaned and whimpered, unconsciously thrusting lightly into Sasuke's hand, whispering incoherent words. His body began to tremble slightly, and he ran a hand up his smooth chest.

At this point, Sasuke realized that not only was his plan not working, but it was backfiring. Doing this to Kiba had given him a throbbing erection, and it was starting to hurt.

"Kiba…" Sasuke croaked out, trying once again to rouse the boy. This time, Kiba's eyes fluttered open and he gave a startled yelp, taking in the situation.

"I was trying to wake you up," Sasuke explained before Kiba could ask, subconsciously still giving the Inuzuka a hand job. "But it kind of backfired on me."

He moved the sheets away, revealing his boxer clad hard-on. Kiba instinctively reached out and stuck his wrapped his hand around the material covered length, and this final bit of stimulation was all it took to send him over the edge. He shot his seed, coating Sasuke's hand and the sheet, falling back and panting hard.

"Goddamn…" He muttered, his face flushed with color and his head thrown back.

Sasuke removed his hand and moved it to his own groin. His eyes locked onto Kiba's face as he pulled off his boxers and started stroking himself roughly, moaning and rocking his hips.

Kiba watched his boyfriend play with himself, and just before it seemed that the Uchiha was going to explode, he quickly slapped his hands away and took Sasuke's manhood into his mouth. It took only a few thrusts for him to climax, filling Kiba's mouth with his seed,, which Kiba swallowed.

The Inuzuka grinned at his boyfriend with a boyish look. "Good morning, koibito."

**XXXXXXX**

They went into the center of the town together, where most of the damage was. Bricks and rubble littered the roads, the buildings were stained with blood and scorch marks, and a rancid smell lingered unpleasantly.

"This isn't going to be fun." Sasuke muttered, nudging some of he debris with one foot. Sakura and Temari were helping nearby, along with Gaara and Neji. Shikamaru was watching them, still in bad shape after the fight that had cost him his team mates. Also, Hinata was there, quietly doing her own thing.

Sasuke began sweeping the rubble away, but had barely managed to do anything before the fifth Hokage walked up to him and Kiba.

"Uchiha, Inuzuka," she said, her blonde hair swaying in the breeze, "I'd like a more with you and your team mates in my office, please. Also, I want your teachers present. Could you please be there in about an hour?"

Sasuke and Kiba nodded, each signaling to their remaining team mate.

"Tsunade-sama!"

Turning, the group saw Shizune running up to them, clutching her pet, Tonton.

"Tsunade-sama, there's someone here to see you!"

"Who is it?" Tsunade asked with interest.

"I – He – You better just come quickly. He's in your office."

Tsunade turned and jogged down the street.

Shizune turned to Sasuke. "You'd better come too. He asked for you as well."

Confused, Sasuke turned to his boyfriend.

"I'll see you at Tsunade's in an hour, okay?"

Kiba smiled. "Go, Sasuke. I'm sure I can handle being here or an hour without you."

Sasuke grinned and jogged with Shizune toward the Hokage tower, wondering who this mystery person was that had asked for both him and the Hokage.

As they climbed the tower, Sasuke heard a shout and something breaking, and he and Shizune sped up.

"What the hell do you thing you're doing here?" they heard Tsunade yell, "You're an S ranked criminal, a missing-nin from the Hidden Rain! You cant just walk into Konoha and expect a warm welcome!"

"I'll fucking explain when the Uchiha gets here, okay?" a male voice replied with some heat.

Sasuke opened the door to the office without knocking. "I'm here now."

In front of him was a strange scene. Tsunade, fire dancing in her eyes, standing behind her dest, which had been smashed to pieces, with a man sitting opposite her in black robes decorated with red clouds… a member of the Akatsuki.

"About fucking time, Uchiha." Hidan said.

"What the -" Sasuke said, not understanding.

"I'd also love to know." Tsunade said furiously.

Hidan reclined in his chair, relaxing. "It's like those idiots, Lee and Tenten said. Betrayal is second nature to a Shinobi."

It took a second for that to sink in.

"You're betraying the Akatsuki?"

Hidan nodded. "I'm tired of their games, hunting the Jinchuuriki, and always getting into fights. I need a fresh start. And I'm hoping, that if I help the Leaf, the Leaf will help me…"

Tsunade shook her head. "You should know that even if I spoke to the leaders of the Hidden Rain, that they would still execute you on sight."

Hidan shrugged. "That's not what I want."

"You want to stay here?" Sasuke asked incredulously.

"Why not? Obviously the Leaf is the safest place. Even after all of your crimes, Uchiha, they allowed you to come here."

"That's because Sasuke was originally from Konoha." Tsunade said.

Hidan nodded. "I realize that, Hokage-sama, but if I help you enough and prove my loyalty, then I figured that maybe you'd allow me to stay."

Sasuke gave a hollow laugh. "You betrayed the Rain, now you're betraying the Akatsuki. Why should we expect you to treat the Leaf any differently?"

Hidan gave him a level gaze, his pink eyes meeting Sasuke's black ones. "Because I'm tired, Uchiha. Tired of these twisted games that we Shinobi play. I want to start over."

He looked over at Tsunade. "I can give you Zetsu and Kukuzu. They'd be the easiest to get hold of. Also, I can tell you," he said to Sasuke, "everything that your big brother has planned so you can stop him. With only Tobi, Pein and Konan left, the Akatsuki with become defunct, no longer a threat to anyone. If we're lucky, we might even be able to take out those three."

"Leaving you guilt free and repented." Tsunade said dubiously. "What proof do we have of your honesty?"

Hidan grinned. "I thought you'd never fucking ask."

He made a sign with one hand, and there was a puff of smoke. When it cleared, it revealed Zetsu; bound, gagged, and unconscious.

Tsunade looked astonished, but then shot a glare at Hidan.

"If this is a trick," she said menacingly, "You will die here."

She crossed over to the figure and inspected it for a moment before letting out a low whistle.

"It's the real thing."

With a grim expression, she sheathed her hand in chakra and brought it down hard on the plant ninja's neck, killing him instantly. Hidan barely blinked through it, obviously he had known it would happen.

"Take us to Kukuzu, tell us everything about Itachi and Pein, and you might just have a place here in the Leaf."

Sasuke was surprised that Tsunade was so willing to give in, but he used his Uchiha mask to hide it. Instead, he took a seat next to Hidan and listened intently as he told them everything…

**XXXXXXX**

Kukuzu was going to be difficult for them, due to his ability to control all the different kinds of chakra and his many lives, but that was a mission for Tsunade and the Jounin to handle. In the meantime, Sasuke was going to go after Itachi and finish his brother off once and for all.

He had told Kiba what had happened, and although the Inuzuka seemed to understand, he did not look pleased. He had started to argue, but Sasuke had cut him off and told him that it needed to be done, not only for his own reasons, but for the safety of Konoha and its inhabitants too.

Shortly after, he had left, muttering something about going to see his family and fetching Akamaru, leaving Sasuke to prepare for his mission.

It took him the better part of two hours to make his final preparations. He glanced once at his apartment, wondering if he would be returning here. Shaking his head at the thought, he left and headed toward the gates of Konoha. His thoughts were melancholy as he neared them, and he didn't immediately notice the group that stood a little to the side of the gate.

"Sasuke." Kiba's voice called.

Looking up, the Uchiha saw Kiba, Sakura, Hinata, Temari, Gaara, Neji, and Shikamaru waiting for him.

"What's this?" Sasuke asked.

"This is your friends, telling you not to go." Kiba replied.

"Kiba, we've had this conversation." Sasuke sighed. "And you all know the history between Itachi and I. I have to go."

"Am I not important to you, then?" Kiba asked in a venomous whisper.

That bristled Sasuke. "Excuse me? I'm not just doing this for myself, Kiba. I'm doing this for everyone, including you. So that we can be together without having to live in constant fear!"

A tear escaped Kiba's eye.

"Sasuke, I'm sorry." He said, his lips barely moving. "I'm sorry, but if you step out of those gates now, we're through. I can't deal with this anymore."

"Kiba," Sasuke started to say, "I have to. I -"

"Fine." Kiba said roughly. "I get it. You made your choice."

And with that, the Inuzuka turned his back on Sasuke, walking away, out of his life.

Sasuke felt tears burn behind his eyes, but willing them to not flow. He saw Neji give him a smirk and go after Kiba, but he did nothing. Silently, Gaara, Temari and Shikamaru patted his shoulders and wished him luck before leaving him.

"And you two?" Sasuke asked emotionally, looking at Sakura and Hinata.

A determined look came to their eyes, as if they were steeling their nerves to say something.

"Sasuke," Sakura said seriously. "You understand that there's a good chance you will die, don't you?"

He nodded once. He didn't need to be reminded of Itachi's strength.

"And you know that Itachi might catch you off guard and turn the tables on you?" Hinata asked, and Sasuke was surprised by the absence of the tiny Hyuua's normal stuttering. He nodded again.

"I'm glad that you see these things, Sasuke-kun." Sakura said. Her and Hinata walked over to a clump of bushes and pulled out backpacks.

Sasuke realized what they were doing immediately.

"Oh, no!" he said warningly, "You're not going with me. I'm doing this alone."

"You need help with this, Sasuke." Sakura said.

"Didn't you hear about what happened the last time I fought Itachi?" Sasuke almost yelled, "Naruto got killed! And if you two think I'll risk -"

"You'll risk?" Hinata said, arching an eyebrow. "_You'll _risk? We're risking ourselves here, Uchiha. To help you and keep you safe. Alone, you don't stand a chance against Itachi! And we're not okay with you going alone, so you'll have to just accept the fact that we're coming along!"

Sasuke opened his mouth to retort, but before he could, Sakura spoke again.

"Naruto." She said quietly, "He'd want me with you, to watch you back. He would want me to help you in any way. I'm not going to let him down, Sasuke. I'm going to keep you safe. You and Hinata both have powerful Bloodline Limits, and I have my medical ninjutsu. Together, we might be able to do this."

Sasuke sighed, but motioned for them to follow as he walked out of the gates.

"Naruto wanted a lot of things that he didn't get." Sasuke said bitterly, remembering Naruto's final words to Kiba. "But maybe we can give him this at least."

The three of them walked out of the gates, ignoring the rain clouds that were gathering over head as the last remains of the Uchiha came closer to their meeting, which would leave only one heir to their prestigious clan.

"we'll help you in any way we can, Sasuke-kun." Hinata whispered to him, and he nodded, grateful and a little overwhelmed by the caring his friends had for him.

"I'm surprised that you didn't try to rope the others in." Sasuke said with a smile.

"We didn't," Sakura replied, "but they did. They all told Tsunade-sama that they wanted to accompany you, but she figured that if we tried, it would cause trouble. Hinata and I are disobeying her orders. And we told the others to leave it to us."

A tear escaped Sasuke's eye, and he quickly brushed it away.

"Thank you."

**XXXXXXX**

**A/N: **There it is, chapter 14!

…..

Why do I get the feeling that I've made a lot of people unhappy with the Kiba/Sasuke breakup? It's plot development people! It was necessary for the later parts!

Don't worry too much though. Notice that Sasuke isn't too worried about Kiba? Let's just say that ties of loyalty and love run both ways…

Leave me a review and tell me what you think, and I'll try to have the next chapter up in the next week.

Arigatou!

Lord R.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto, its characters, or it's storyline.

**Warnings: **Yaoi (boyXboy) and language.

**A/N: **I'm baaaaack! Mwahahaha!

Anywho, hope you all enjoyed chapter 14, cuz here's the next installment! Time for the brothers to clash at last!

Okay, this chapter is very slap-dash, and there's a lot of P.O.V switches, so try to keep up. It's more of a filler chapter than anything else, but still, something interesting happens here!!!

_**Chapter 15**_

Kiba's P.O.V

Almost as soon as he reached the Inuzuka compound, Kiba realized that he had made a massive mistake. Sasuke needed him right now, and all he had done was selfishly break away from him. He walked inside, his thoughts travelling too fast, and nearly knocked straight into his sister, Tsume.

"Watch where you're – Kiba? What's wrong?"

"Sasuke…" Kiba whispered.

"Did he hurt you?" Tsume asked immediately, "I swear, Uchiha or not, I will kill him if he hurt you Kiba."

Kiba shook his head slowly.

"You've got it the wrong way around, Tsume… I hurt him."

Tsume's eyes softened. "What happened, little brother?"

And so he told her. He told her everything, from when he had been so two faced in the when he had first learned of Sasuke's feelings for him, to the break up at the gates. As he spoke, tears welled in his eyes

"Kiba you moron." Tsume said in exasperation, "Why the hell did you do that?"

Kiba mumbled something incoherent, staring at the floor.

"Well, you know what you have to do, don't you?"

Kiba looked at her for a second before his face split into a wide grin.

"Thanks Tsume!" he yelled as he ran out of the Inuzuka compound.

Tsume sighed. "He'd so dense sometimes."

Back to Sasuke's P.O.V

Walking through the forest with his new, temporary team, Sasuke felt a sort of peace come over him. The forests surrounding Konohagakure always had an effect on the Leaf ninja that went into it, calming them before they had to go into the world and perform life or death missions.

Sasuke looked over at Sakura and Hinata, both of which seemed to be serene and calm, talking quietly.

"Neji was always the powerful one." Hinata was saying to the pink-haired girl, "and I always thought that he would be better than me no matter what I did, but I don't feel that way anymore. He may have the natural flare for it, but I've worked hard, and I think I'm getting to a point where I'll feel confident about fighting him."

"That would be a fight I'd want to see." Sakura murmured with a grin.

"If Neji carries on his crap with Kiba, then you might see that fight sooner than expected."

The tiny Hyuuga turned to Sasuke.

"Sorry, Sasuke-kun, I know you'd like to pummel Neji yourself, but I've got first dibs on him."

Sasuke let out a chuckle. "Be my guest, Hinata-chan. I'd also want to see that fight."

"Though if Neji gets the upper hand," Sakura added, "then you can expect me and Sasuke to jump in and tear him apart."

All three of them laughed. The lighthearted atmosphere was exactly what Sasuke needed now, before he meets with Itachi. Even with Hinata and Sakura with him, he had a feeling that when it got to that fight, it would be just him and Itachi.

Sakura gave a deep, heartfelt sigh.

"Things are so different without him here."

Sasuke didn't need to ask who she meant. Naruto's absence was affecting them all. They were so used to hearing his loud voice complaining about something, or his normal practical jokes, his declarations of his nindo… there was a vacancy now, one that nothing could replace.

They set up camp for the night in a secluded area, thinking about a battle plan for the next day.

Hidan had revealed that Itachi was not far from the Hidden Leaf, camping out in an abandoned laboratory under the ground. He was waiting there for the perfect opportunity to strike out at Sasuke, but he had no clue that he had been betrayed. The swiftness of the Leaf's response to Hidan's information was such that the Akatsuki wouldn't have time to realize that there was something wrong. With any luck, by the end of the next day there would only be only three members of Akatsuki left, not including Hidan.

They slept fitfully, nightmares slipping into them at random due to their worries for the next day.

_Sasuke was in his apartment, laying on the cool, white sheets on his bed. He wore only his shorts, laying with his arms stretched above his head, talking idly to someone sitting nearby. He assumed it was Kiba, since not many people would come to his home, so he simply closed his eyes and continued to speak. At one point, he asked a question, but received no answer. This perplexed him, since Kiba was not normally the type to ignore him, and he opened his eyes._

"_Kiba, why are you not answering me?"_

_However, the figure sitting on the edge of the bed was not Kiba._

_Blue eyes stared out from under a mop of spiky blonde hair. The orange of his top stained at the chest with a patch of dark red._

_Sasuke recoiled quickly, moving away._

"_Relax, Sasuke." Naruto's voice whispered softly. "I won't hurt you."_

"_But you're dead…" Sasuke whispered back._

_With a sad smile, Naruto nodded and looked away._

"_This was the only way I could see you again, Sasuke. In your dreams."_

_Sasuke started to relax now. He edged closer to Naruto and tentatively wrapped his arms around the blondes waist._

"_I'm so sorry Naruto. I killed you… It should have been me that died that day."_

_Naruto shook his head. "You weren't trying to kill me, Sasu. You were after Itachi. It's his fault, not yours. I would never blame you for what happened."_

"_Its not the same without you around." Sasuke told his dead comrade. "It's lonely and cold."_

_Naruto nodded. "It takes time to heal, Sasuke. Just give it time."_

_He leaned forward and kissed the Uchiha lightly on his lips. Even in a dream, Sasuke could feel the pressure. _

"_Be careful tomorrow, and watch out for the others. Don't let Itachi get to them. You need their help, and they'll help you to defeat your brother." _

_He stood up, and his body began to fade away._

"_I'll see you again soon Sasuke-kun." He said as he vanished._

"_Wait Naruto, don't go yet!"_

_But there was no reply. Sasuke looked around frantically, calling out again and again._

"_Naruto! Naruto, where are you? Naruto!"_

"Naruto!"

Sasuke jolted awake, shouting for Naruto. It was still dark, and their campfire was nearly out by now. Sasuke fell back hard against the ground, closing his eyes and trying to steady his breathing. Had it just been a dream? Or had Naruto really come to see him?

He could still feel the kiss Naruto had given him, and it was with confused thoughts that Sasuke laid back down and went back to sleep…

**XXXXXXX**

When Sasuke woke up for the second time, it was still dark, but Hinata and Sakura were rousing too. They climbed out of their bedrolls and packed up their things, then proceeded with their short journey. In only a few hours, Sasuke would face his brother, and then the final battle would commence.

Sasuke was slightly nervous, though his Uchiha mask hid that fact very well. He remained passive and stony faced, not showing how hesitant he really felt, since at the slightest sign of weakness Sakura would use it as an excuse to try to dissuade him from his quest.

"Almost there already." Sakura murmured vaguely, sounding a little scared.

Hinata simply nodded and carried on walking, with Sasuke behind her.

Sasuke's thoughts turned, once again, to Kiba. He was hurt that the Inuzuka had turned his back on him, but he couldn't expect anyone else to understand what vengeance meant to the youngest of Uchiha. He finally had the chance to avenge his family's deaths, his entire clan. So many years had past since that fateful day, when Itachi had single-handedly murdered every other Uchiha besides Sasuke, who he had deemed too weak and pitiful to kill. That, Sasuke thought, was a mistake. Now, years later, and after countless hardships that he had faced with his team, learning from Kakashi and Orochimaru both, Sasuke was more powerful than he was before, and it was with this power that he intended to kill his brother.

Or at least die trying…

Something of his thoughts must have reflected on his face, because Sakura slid her hand into his and whispered; "Don't worry Sasuke. You're not alone."

He knew that was true; he had Sakura and Hinata with him, Kiba was sure to be thinking of him, along with their other friends, and Naruto was watching down on him, his wide smile encouraging his best friend.

Sasuke stopped in his tracks as pain filled him. Real, physical pain…

He screamed loudly and dropped to his knees, clutching at his face madly.

"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled in panic, "What's wrong?"

She ran up to him and tried to move his hands away from his face, but it wasn't necessary. Sasuke let his arms drop to his sides as he stood up to face the pink-haired girl, his eyes closed.

"Something changed." Sasuke whispered.

"What's wrong with him, Sakura?" Hinata asked.

Before she could answer, Sasuke opened his eyes, revealing his new power.

He had, unintentionally, killed his best friend. The Uchiha history, friends killing friends, and brothers killing brothers, was being fulfilled.

Sakura gasped as she looked into Sasuke's red orbs.

"Mangekyou Sharingan…"

"I killed my best friend, Sakura." Sasuke explained, "and once I realized it, it activated my Mangekyou… Now I can face Itachi on equal footing.

"S – Sasuke," Hinata stammered, her voice faltering, "I don't mean to discourage you, but Itachi has had years to practice with his Mangekyou."

"Which means his aren't as good as they once were." Sakura said before Sasuke could. "His eye sight will be failing, whereas Sasuke's is still perfect."

Sasuke nodded and smiled grimly.

"Let's go." He said, "We're nearly there."

They continued on the last leg of their journey, with a little more confidence. This was promising to be an interesting match up.

**XXXXXXX**

Tsunade's P.O.V

The fifth Hokage was travelling back to Konoha along with her assistant, Shizune, and ex-Akatsuki, Hidan. She was tired, and in desperate need of rest and food, but a sense of triumph filled her. She had succeeded, with the help of Hidan, in killing Kakuzu. It had been a difficult fight, one that had taken most of the night due to his many lives that were attached to his body, but after an exhausting battle she had managed to kill him.

"Something about all this worries me." Hidan said as they jumped through the trees. His voice was weak and tired.

Tsunade stopped, allowing the Jashin worshipper to land lightly next to her.

"What do you mean?" Tsunade asked.

"Kakuzu was supposed to be alone, near to the camp, which he was. But I couldn't feel any chakra from the base. Tobi, Aburame Shino, and several ninja from the Rock country should have been nearby, though not near enough to interfere."

One of Tsunade's eyebrows shot up.

"And if they had sensed us?"

Hidan shook his head. "Hokage-sama, you're a very well trained ninja, as are Shizune and myself. Tobi cannot hide his chakra signature well, and those other morons are pathetic. They would be able to sense us from such a distance."

"But we should have sensed them." Shizune said in a low tone.

"If they've gone to find Itachi…" Tsunade said, but before she could finish, Hidan began to move again.

"Itachi was in a base in this direction." He called over his shoulder to the Hokage. "We'll need to hurry. The Uchiha can't handle them alone."

**XXXXXXX**

Sasuke's P.O.V

They were now outside of the camp. Sasuke could vaguely feel a presence nearby, but there was no certainty that it was his brother. He moved quietly over a patch of grass, knowing that the roofing of the underground base would catch heavy vibration. Taking a deep breath, Sasuke stomped hard on the ground twice, then jumped back up into the trees where Hinata and Sakura were concealed.

Itachi Uchiha stepped out from the base to see what the commotion had been, but he saw nothing.

"I can feel you." He said in his cold, emotionless voice. "Three of you, hiding in the trees. Come out now, or I'll kill you."

Sasuke's blood began to seethe in his veins. He dropped down to the ground, facing his brother.

"Sasuke." Itachi said, looking slightly surprised. "Are you really that eager to die?"

"It's you that will die here, Itachi." Sasuke spat back venomously, glaring daggers at the elder Uchiha.

Itachi gave a cold, cruel smirk and snapped his fingers. At once, the forest was filled with ninja, including Shino.

"It was stupid of you o come here today, Sasuke." The Aburame said.

Sasuke let out a low growling sound at the same time that Sakura and Hinata joined him.

"Shino." Hinata said in a deadly voice, making the Aburame laugh.

"Hinata. The useless heir to a useless clan. What bring you here?"

Hinata activated her Byakugan and darted forward, but another ninja stepped in to intercept her. He grabbed her arms and forced them behind her back.

"Silly little girl," the ninja whispered. "Why do you want to fight us? I can think of something better to do with those hands of yours…"

He pressed her hands firmly against his manhood, making her rub it.

Sasuke started forward, but he stopped when he noticed a small, defiant smirk cross Hinata's face.

She pressed her palms backwards, and the ninja collapsed on the floor, screaming.

Shino gave her a surprised look.

"Juuken style, Shino." She said with derision. "Have you already forgotten the Hyuuga's chakra damaging techniques?"

"I'll admit that I didn't expect that." Shino said, "But it makes no difference. You and those other two will die here today."

A kunai whipped past Sasuke's head, thrown at Shino, who knocked it aside easily.

He turned to Sakura with a smirk, but found that she was no longer there.

"You should know better than to fall for such an easy trick, Shino." Sakura whispered in his ear and she stepped up behind him. Instantly, kikai began to spread from the Aburame, and Sakura dodged away while cutting deep into Shino with a second kunai.

Shino clutched his arm with a snarl.

"Sasuke." A quiet voice said, "You should be focused on me, not them."

Sasuke spun and dodged, getting away from Itachi.

"Little brother, you will never defeat me. That is a simple reality."

Sasuke activated his Sharingan and launched an attack on his brother, which was easily blocked.

Sasuke resorted to high-speed Taijutsu, punching and kicking at light speed. These too were dodged and blocked, but Sasuke hadn't intended to injure Itachi. He merely wanted to position him for the real attack. Sakura darted in and, with her medical skills, severed the muscles in Itachi's legs, dropping him to his knees. With a cry of pain, the older Uchiha looked into Sasuke's eyes, his Mangekyou Sharingan flashing dangerously.

"Tsukuyomi!"

The world vanished, along with everyone except for Sasuke and Itachi. Itachi stood and walked up to Sasuke.

"Now is where the fun starts." Itachi said in a sepulchral tone, drawing a katana from inside his robes.

_No! _Sasuke thought to himself. _It's not real, it's a Genjutsu!_

He shut his eyes in pain as Itachi sliced into him, willing himself to not scream or cry out. He opened his eyes and focused on his brother, using his Sharingan to break free of the illusion.

Reality came back, and Itachi grunted from pain as a trickle of blood flowed from his left eyes.

"Damn you, Sasuke." Itachi said, still on the floor. He looked at Sasuke for a second time, but Hinata stepped in front of the older Uchiha brother and tapped his forehead with her palm, cutting off the chakra supply to his eyes and rendering his Mangekyou useless.

Itachi lifted a hand to produce a seal, but Sasuke activated his own Mangekyou.

"Amaterasu!"

Itachi's hand crumbled away as black fire consumed it in a heartbeat.

"How…"

Until now, Shino and the other ninja were frozen, watching the fight, but now they began to move.

"SABAKU KYUU!"

Sasuke was so focused on his brother that he didn't hear the voice, or notice the sand flowing over his enemies. All that mattered at that point, was Itachi.

"Kill me then, Sasuke." Itachi spat out, clearly in pain, "Kill me if you think you can. Then there will be two Uchiha's left with the power of the Magekyou Sharingan."

Sasuke looked up at the storm-tossed clouds overhead, then back down at his brother. Without speaking, he gathered his chakra.

"Kirin!"

A bolt of incandescent lightning fell from the sky and struck Itachi, who screamed in agony. It lasted for only a matter of seconds, then it was over, with Itachi laying in a pool of his own blood.

He coughed once, glaring at his younger brother with hateful eyes. Then he coughed again and fell back, motionless.

The world seemed to stop. Battle ceased, and everyone held their breath unconsciously. One person moved, coming up behind Sasuke and wrapping his arms around him.

"It's finally over. You won, love."

**XXXXXXX**

**A/N**: So Itachi is finally dead. But that doesn't mea n that life in Konoha will get any easier…

Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto. And that's sad, because I would make a lot of fans happy if I did.

**Warnings: **Okay, it's chapter 16 already… Surely you've realized by now?

_**Chapter 16**_

"It's finally over. You won, my love."

A day had passed since Itachi's death, when Kiba and half of the shinobi of Konoha had shown up only a minute too late. Sasuke had been exhausted, and had collapsed in Kiba's arms, too tired to stay conscious, and had slept through the rest of the day and night, but now, with the bright rays of the sun falling through his curtains, his eyes fluttered open. It felt like any other day, waking up beside Kiba, but the whole world had changed. He had completed his destiny and avenged his clan.

Turning, he saw Kiba sitting on the windowsill, staring at the cloudless blue sky and lost in thought. Sasuke sat up and took a moment to take in all that had happened. He had gone to fight Itachi. Kiba had left him, at the gates of Konoha, walked away. _'I get it. You made your choice.'_

But here Kiba was, sitting in his room and looking, well, peaceful. Sasuke breathed out slowly, trying to organize his thoughts.

"Kiba?"

Kiba gave a slight jump at the sound of Sasuke's voice and turned suddenly, making him lose his balance and crash down onto the ground. Sasuke couldn't stop the small chuckle that escaped his lips as he looked at Kiba, who was upside down and looking confused.

"Really slick, Kiba." Sasuke complimented him with a smirk.

"Shut up." Kiba mumbled, getting to his feet and walking over to the bed. Sitting down, his eyes scrutinized Sasuke carefully.

"Are you alright, Sasuke? You were having nightmares last night, and I couldn't wake you."

"I'm fine, Kiba. Just… confused. I mean, you're here, and…"

Kiba blushed. "I was hoping we could avoid this talk, a least until after breakfast."

At the mention of food, Sasuke's stomach decided to give it's input to the conversation by growling loudly.

"Alright, breakfast. But I really want to know what's going on, Kiba."

Kiba nodded and took Sasuke's hand, helping the raven haired boy to his feet. He led him into the kitchen and started preparing food, all the while humming softly under his breath. Sasuke looked out of the window at the trees, watching as a bird landed lightly and began preening its dark feathers in the sunlight. He smiled softly, feeling, for once, completely calm. It really was all over now. The long awaited battle was done, and here he was, victorious at last, sitting in his kitchen while the love of his life made him breakfast.

"There you go." Kiba murmured, setting down plates in front of him. There was a bowl of cut up fruit, some rice, orange juice, and a large platter of steamed vegetables.

"Wow, Kiba." Sasuke commented. "This is fit for a king. What did I do to deserve this?"

Kiba looked down at the floor. "I, er, well, it's just that I was wrong about everything, so I just wanted to say that I'm –"

Sasuke raised a hand, cutting him off. "Don't you dare apologize, Kiba. We aren't talking about that now. Right now, we're going to enjoy this amazing breakfast, then we're going to spend some time together, just relaxing for once. Everything else can wait."

"I thought you wanted to know." Kiba said.

Sasuke thought about it for a second before shrugging his shoulders. "I changed my mind. I don't want to know. All I want is to enjoy this, with you. Okay?"

Kiba smiled, his sharp canines showing. "Okay. Itadakimasu!"

"Itadakimasu." Sasuke murmured, picking up his chopsticks. They ate in silence, and when they were done Sasuke ignored Kiba's protests and cleared the mess. With Kiba's help he cleared away the furniture in the living room and began working out, trying to get the stiffness out of his muscles. Beside him, Kiba grunted with effort as he too exercised.

Time passed quickly, and before long Sasuke wiped the sweat off his brow and looked over at Kiba.

"I'm going to go take a shower." He said. "I'll be back in a second."

Kiba nodded and continued to work out, understanding that Sasuke wanted some time alone. Sasuke left the room and walked into his clean bathroom. Changing his mind at the last second, he decided to run himself a bath instead. When the room was filled with steam and the tub was full of warm water, Sasuke stripped off and slid into the water, feeling it relax him and wash away his thoughts.

Deciding to simply enjoy it, he rolled up a cloth and placed it behind his head, laying back and enjoying the feel of the warmth spreading throughout his body. He closed his eyes, and before he knew it, he had drifted into a light sleep.

_He was sitting in the training field, underneath the cherry blossoms. The wind was light, and occasional blossoms drifted down around him, filling the air with their fragrance. The wind felt good against his skin, and it made him aware of the fact that he was naked. This didn't bother him, since he knew that he was dreaming. _

"_Sasuke-kun." A voice nearby said softly, and Sasuke smiled._

"_Naruto. Come to molest me in my dreams, have you?"_

_Naruto chuckled at the joke and sat cross-legged in front of the Uchiha. _

_Sasuke gazed into his blond friend's ceruleans eyes, losing himself in them. _

"_Sasuke, it's not over yet."_

_Sasuke frowned in confusion. "What do you mean? Itachi is dead, as is most of Akatsuki. They wouldn't dare to try anything now."_

_Naruto shook his head sadly. _

"_No, it's not over yet, Sasuke. There's still more to do. Itachi was not the end, only another step. An important step, but a step none the less."_

_Sasuke glared. "What else is there, Naruto? My brother is dead, and I'm finally finding some semblance of happiness with Kiba. What else could go wrong?"_

_Naruto scowled slightly at the mention of Kiba, but let it pass without comment. "There is still another Uchiha out there, Sasuke, and he's moving in fast. He knows what happened with Itachi, and he'll be after you now. And he's far more powerful than Itachi ever was."_

_Sasuke's eyes widened. "Then how am I supposed to beat him? Naruto, I trained for years to defeat Itachi, and I was beaten every time I tried. It's only because of the Mangekyou that I finally bested him, and now you say that I'm supposed to fight someone stronger than him!"_

_Naruto rolled his eyes. "Will you calm down already? Seriously, Sasuke, you're going to give yourself an aneurysm."_

"_Like you even know what that is, dobe." Sasuke retorted, and Naruto scowled again. _

"_Just listen to me, Uchiha. You have to fight, but you don't have to do it alone. You have Kiba, Hinata, and Sakura. You even have that ex Akatsuki, Hidan. You're not going to fight alone. But things are going to get very complicated, and a lot of lives are going to be lost."_

"_Is this guy really that strong?"_

_Naruto nodded. "Yes. But there's more. Think about it. I was a Jinchuuriki, a host to the Kyuubi. With my death…"_

"_It was released?" Sasuke yelped in surprise. The shock of that thought very nearly jerked him out of sleep._

"_Yes. It was slow at first, but the fox's chakra is forming fast now. And Akatsuki, or what's left of it, needs the Kyuubi. They already have many of the Bijuu, and if they get the fox, they'll be that much closer to achieving their goals."_

"_How do I stop them?" Sasuke asked, determined. _

"_Talk to Hidan. He was an Akatsuki, so he'll be able to fill you in properly. Also, talk to Sakura. I've been talking to her as well, and she'll help you convince the others that it's true. There isn't much time left, Sasuke. Days, at the most. You need to get moving right now."_

_Sasuke nodded and leaned forward, embracing his comrade. "Alright, Naruto."_

_And with that, he forced himself awake._

The first thing he noticed was that the water he was in had turned ice cold. Shivering, he climbed out and got into the shower, turning it on and allowing the falling water to warm him a little. He grabbed a towel and went to the bedroom, where he found Kiba reclining on his bed, reading a book.

Even in his frenzied state, Sasuke paused for a moment, his jaw dropping in shock.

"You're reading Icha Icha?" he asked in confusion. "How? Why?"

"It's actually a really good book." Kiba said defensively, holding the book closer. "I borrowed a copy from Kakashi-sensei, and it turned out that the story was good, so I continued. What's got you so worked up?"

Sasuke was throwing clothing around the room, trying to find something to wear. "I have to go talk to Sakura, then to the Hokage. Something's come up."

Kiba frowned. "What happened, Sasuke?"

Sasuke stared into Kiba's canine eyes, completely at a loss for words. E knew that Kiba wouldn't believe him, at least not until Sakura could confirm that what he said was indeed true.

"I'll tell you as soon as we find Sakura and get to the Hokage tower." He said as he forcefully yanked on a pair of pants and pulled a shirt over his head. Slipping into his sandals, he was already at the door before he realized that Kiba wasn't following him.

"Kiba! Come on!"

"Sorry! Kiba called back, snapping out of his trance. "On my way!"

_**XXX**_

The walk to Sakura's apartment was fast, and soon Sasuke was knocking on her door. When she answered, she was dressed in her uniform that she wore at the hospital.

"Sasuke-kun? Kiba? This is a bad time; I was getting ready for my shift at the hospital."

"It's rather important, Sakura." Sasuke said, stepping past her and into the apartment. "And I doubt you'll be going to the hospital today. We're going to be at the Hokage tower."

Sakura's apartment smelt like roses and freesias. A lit stick of incense on her coffee table was were the smell was originating from and Kiba walked around it and to an open window. His incredibly heightened sense of smell couldn't handle an odor as strong as that.

"Sasuke-kun, what's going on?"

Sasuke turned to face her. "Naruto."

The look on Sakura's face confirmed it. He had been coming to her as well.

"Wh – what about him?"

"He's been visiting you too, hasn't he?"

Kiba turned to Sasuke, looking puzzled, but Sasuke ignored the look.

Sakura froze, then a single tear escaped her eye.

"Oh Sasuke, I see him in my dreams. It feels so real sometimes, and the things he says…"

"He told you that there was another Uchiha, didn't he? And that the Kyuubi had been released."

Sakura gasped. "How could you –"

"Sakura, I don't think they're just dreams. Naruto came to me before the fight with Itachi, and again today. He told me that it isn't over yet, and that we have to talk to Tsunade and Hidan."

Sakura looked down, shuffling her feet.

"Sasuke-kun, I know you must feel awful after what happened with Naruto, but these dreams –"

Sasuke slammed his fist against the wall in frustration. "God dammit, Sakura! These dreams aren't just dreams. They're as real as you or me. There's something coming, and we have to get moving before we all die."

"Sasuke…" Kiba said softly, but Sasuke ignored him again. "Sasuke," he said a little louder, "How can they be real? I'm trying to understand what's going on, but it just seems so crazy."

"I know it's real." Sasuke said stubbornly. "And so does Sakura. Don't you?"

Sakura looked up into Sasuke's eyes, and for a moment she thought she saw cerulean blue instead of obsidian black. It was just a momentary flash, but in that second she knew the truth.

"Sasuke's right, Kiba." Sakura said quietly. "I don't know how it's possible, but it's all true. Naruto warned me about Itachi, told me to make sure that I took Hinata and went with Sasuke. He even said that you would leave Sasuke, but that you would realize your mistake. I just didn't want to believe it, because I thought I was losing my mind…"

Sasuke shook his head. "You're as sane as I am. This is all real, and we're all in danger. We need to see the Hokage and convince her that what we say is true."

Sakura nodded.

"I'm still confused." Kiba admitted. "But you are two of the most rational people I know. I doubt that you would both be having the same hallucination, so I'm going to accept that you're right. And if there's as much danger as Sasuke says there is, we'd better get moving now. I'll meet you two at the Hokage's tower. I want to go get Akamaru."

Sasuke nodded. He knew that Kiba would need his canine companion with him now, especially if there was to be a fight.

"Let's go, Sakura."

With that, they left, sprinting toward the Hokage.

In their hast, they had completely forgotten their manners and had barged into the Hokage's office. Several ANBU were there, receiving a new mission, and they reacted fast. Kunai and shuriken whipped through the air, and Sasuke barely had time to force Sakura behind him in order to keep her safe. Even so, a shuriken sliced into her upper arm, and two kunai embedded themselves into Sasuke. With a grunt of pain, he activated his Sharingan and glared at the ANBU, who seemed to be unfazed by his death stare. Tsunade glared at them with fire in her eyes, getting to her feet.

"Uchiha! What on earth has gotten into you? And Sakura! You should know better than to come barging in here!"

"I'm sorry Tsunade-sama." Sakura apologized. "But we have something important to tell you."

Tsunade sighed. "Out. Wait outside, and I'll call you in when I'm done here."

Sasuke winced as he moved, the kunai that were in him shifting and cutting as he walked.

"Let me take care of that." Sakura said. With a swift movement she puled out one of the kunai, making Sasuke grimace in pain, but as soon as her cool chakra started flowing into the wound, causing it to stop bleeding and knit closed, he felt better.

"Thank you, Sakura." He said as she began work on the second wound. "You got hurt too. You should heal yourself."

Sakura glanced at her shoulder. "It's nothing serious. I'll get to that when I'm done with you."

It was a few minutes before the Hokage's door opened and they were told to come in. Tsunade seated herself behind her desk and poured herself some sake before speaking.

"So, what's so important that your manners completely deserted you?"

Sasuke took a deep breath, and then, with Sakura's help, told Tsunade everything.

_**XXX**_

Tsunade sat with her face resting in her palms. After hearing what she was told she wasn't sure what to think, but her instincts told her that the two shinobi on front of her weren't lying. More so, she had known Sakura for years now, and the pink haired girl had always been reliable.

"Okay, lets say, for the sake of argument, that I believe you. When is all of this supposed to happen?"

Sasuke exchanged a glance with Sakura. "We're, uh, not sure of an exact time, but we were warned that there is only a few days before it's going to start."

"Where will it happen?" Tsunade asked next.

"In the village." Sasuke replied. "That's what Naruto meant by many lives being in danger."

"And the danger comes from another Uchiha, as well as the Kyuubi no Kitsune?"

"Hai."

Tsunade buried her face in her palms again. "Why is it, that all of the villages troubles seem to come from the Uchiha clan?"

Sasuke's jaw dropped, and he felt stung.

"Hokage-sama…" Sakura said in a faintly reprimanding tone, and Tsunade winced slightly.

"Oh you know what I mean." The blonde woman snapped. "First Itachi, now this. What's next?"

"The Akatsuki." Sasuke said. "So, we're gong to need to talk to Hidan and get as much information as possible. Shall I fetch him?"

Tsunade nodded, but as Sasuke made to leave, Sakura grabbed his arm.

"Wait. There's something else that you need to do, Sasuke-kun. Tsunade-sama can talk to Hidan so long, but you and I are going down to the hospital."

"The hospital?" Sasuke asked in confusion. "I'm not injured, Sakura."

"Well, the morgue, really." Sakura explained. "To Itachi's body."

Sasuke went cold at the thought. "I don't want to see his body."

Sakura shook her head. "Sasuke, we need to do this. The only way you'll make it through this is if you attain the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan."

Sasuke looked at her, appalled. "Surely you don't mean…"

Sakura nodded. "I'm dead serious, Sasuke. You need take your brothers eyes and complete your destiny. It's the only way."

Sasuke looked into her green eyes and saw the look of determination.

"Naruto told you this, didn't he?"

"Hai. Come on, we need to get going."

"Sakura, can you handle this alone?" Tsunade asked, her eyes narrowed.

"I can. I've talked to Kakashi before, about how he got his Sharingan. I know what I'm doing. Will you talk to Hidan so long and find out what you can about Akatsuki's plans for the Jinchuuriki and the Bijuu?"

Tsunade nodded.

"Oh," Sasuke said, "Kiba should be on his way here. When he gets here, can you send him to the hospital? I might need him there."

"Of course." Tsunade replied. "Now go. We have a lot to do, and not much time to do it."

_**XXXXX**_


End file.
